In the early morning of February 3, Al-Hilal's homepage confirmed the recruitment of the French striker. The deal was only completed on the last day of the transfer window, after going through many problems related to procedures as well as the intervention of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF).
According to Saudi Arabian media, Benzema only has 6 months left on his contract with Al-Ittihad. Although this team once offered a contract extension, the two sides did not reach a common voice due to disagreements on terms. In that context, PIF stood up to arrange to bring the former Real Madrid striker to Al-Hilal - the most successful team in Saudi Arabia today.
Benzema's move to play against a direct rival is said to have caused mixed reactions within the league. Some sources say Cristiano Ronaldo is not satisfied with PIF's allocation of resources, saying that Al-Nassr has not received investment commensurate with its competitors.
Despite receiving attention from some European clubs, Benzema still chose to continue playing in Saudi Arabia. This decision is considered suitable for the long-term plan of the 36-year-old striker, in the context that his commercial contracts and image here are said to be valid until 2030.
In the opposite direction, Al-Ittihad is expected to soon add forces to compensate for the gap left by Benzema. Striker Youssef En-Nesyri is considered a replacement, while midfielder N'Golo Kante is likely to leave Saudi Arabia to join Fenerbahce in the Turkish national championship.
With the appearance of Benzema, Al-Hilal continues to increase the strength of the squad that already owns 21 national championships and 4 Asian titles. Under the leadership of coach Simone Inzaghi, Al-Hilal is considered a top candidate for the Saudi Pro League championship race, and also becomes Al-Nassr's biggest rival in the rest of the season.
