Both Karim Benzema and Lionel Messi have been the talking points of the week in Spain, with one rumoured to be arriving at Barcelona, and the former reportedly considering an exit from Real Madrid. Yet it may be more likely that they are playing against each other this season.
Benzema is reportedly considering ending his time at Real Madrid a year earlier than expected, after a tough season plagued by injuries. Meanwhile Messi is yet to receive an offer from Barcelona, and wants to decide his future in the coming weeks – remaining at Paris Saint-Germain appears to be ruled out.
Al Ittihad have been linked with Benzema, while Al Hilal appear to be in prime position for Messi, although all clubs can bid for both. “Wait until the clubs make it official,” were the words of Saudi Arabian Minister for Sport Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, as per Sport.
Those words would imply that a deal is nearly done, if not done for both stars. It would represent a fresh step in Saudi Arabia’s attempts to gain attention in the world of football after taking over Newcastle United and signing Cristiano Ronaldo to Al Nassr. Rarely before have two footballers still capable of playing in Champions League-winning sides move outside of Europe though, which suggest the Kingdom has broken new ground.
