After a sudden 17-day absence, Karim Benzema returned to Al-Ittihad, but those following developments through 12BET Mobile saw that his explanation of being stranded in Mauritius by a cyclone failed to satisfy either the club or Saudi league officials. The situation carried the strange feeling of having nothing yet somehow losing everything. According to reports, Saudi officials believed Benzema had deliberately delayed his return rather than being completely unable to travel back.
Sources connected with the situation through 12BET Mobile indicated that if Benzema had genuinely been determined to return, both he and Al-Ittihad would have had enough resources to arrange alternative transportation to Saudi Arabia. Benzema arrived as one of the Saudi league’s most prestigious recruits, a Ballon d’Or winner and international superstar reportedly earning around €200 million per year. The contract represented one of the strongest packages Saudi football could offer. Yet only about six months after arriving, Benzema was reportedly growing tired of both life in Saudi Arabia and the league itself, prompting his representatives to explore possibilities for a return to Europe.
Benzema was reportedly interested in following a route similar to Jordan Henderson, who left Saudi football and returned to Europe. A temporary move was considered one possibility, and Benzema was said to be willing to accept a significant reduction in salary. Arsenal, which was searching for additional options at center forward, had reportedly made contact with his representatives and explored whether a deal could be arranged. The biggest obstacle remained his salary. Even Europe’s highest-paid stars were earning far below Benzema’s Saudi package, with Kylian Mbappe’s reported annual earnings estimated at roughly €70 million. For a European return to become financially realistic, Benzema would likely have to accept wages below approximately €10 million per year.
Saudi officials, however, were not prepared to make a European departure easy. The league was reportedly willing to consider a transfer only if Benzema remained within Saudi Arabia, while an urgent meeting was expected to address his future. Al-Ittihad was frustrated by his unexplained absence, but Saudi football authorities reportedly preferred to keep one of their biggest international names inside the competition. A move to another Saudi club could therefore be considered, while a direct return to Europe faced much stronger resistance.
Benzema himself appeared determined to take a different path. He reportedly believed that the current transfer period offered the right opportunity to return to European football and was prepared to sacrifice a large portion of his salary to make it happen. However, the decision was not entirely in his hands. Contractual conditions gave the Saudi side considerable control over any transfer, meaning personal preference alone could not unlock the door. As the saying goes, it takes two to tango, and both sides would need to reach an acceptable solution.
The dispute also carried significance beyond Benzema’s individual career. Saudi football had invested heavily in internationally recognized stars to increase the league’s visibility, prestige, and global reach. Benzema, as a former Ballon d’Or winner and one of the most recognizable forwards of his generation, represented a particularly important part of that project. Losing him so soon after his arrival could create questions about the league’s ability to retain elite players after attracting them with major contracts.
For Al-Ittihad, the issue was equally complicated on the field. The club had built a substantial part of its attacking structure around Benzema, and prolonged uncertainty over his future risked affecting preparation, squad planning, and stability. Even if he remained in Saudi Arabia, repairing the relationship between player and club could become just as important as resolving the contractual dispute itself.
From the perspective of those tracking the situation through 12BET Mobile, Benzema remained one of Saudi football’s most valuable assets simply because of the global attention attached to his name. He is still living through some of the most important years of his career, and Saudi officials appeared determined not to let those years slip away easily. If Benzema were eventually allowed to leave the league altogether, the impact could be considerably greater than Henderson’s departure, which helps explain why Saudi football seemed prepared to fight hard to keep him within its rapidly developing competition.