Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema is in talks with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad over a potential return to European football, just six months after leaving the Santiago Bernabeu. There was a report this week that Carlo Ancelotti had asked Real Madrid to bring Benzema back on loan until the end of the season.
At the moment, it appears talks are deadlocked. Manchester United, Arsenal and Olympique Lyon have been in touch with his camp over a potential deal, but unless Benzema takes a mammoth wage cut from his €100m per annum salary, then he won’t be going anywhere.
Ancelotti was asked about the report, and whether he could head back to the Spanish capital.
“That’s a lie, we have never spoken to the club about this,” was his blunt response.
Prior to Ancelotti’s press conference, Benzema’s brother was much less serious about the prospect, but equally as full of disdain, laughing off the idea on his social media.
Real Madrid have very rarely gone into the transfer market in the January window over the last decade. There was a spell where the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor and Javier Hernandez arrived on loan on short-term deals, but their approach these days appears to be only moving for the absolutely necessary, or players they want at the club long-term.
