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Benzema joins Al-Ittihad; Kanté expected to follow

Karim Benzema N'Golo Kanté Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté - Getty Images
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The reigning Ballon d'Or winner is headed to Saudi Arabia.

Al-Ittihad confirmed the arrival of former France striker Karim Benzema on Tuesday, days after he played his final game for Real Madrid, with former Les Bleus teammate N'Golo Kanté expected to follow.

Benzema, 35, spent the past 14 seasons at the Bernabeu.

Fabrizio Romano reports the deal is for two years with the option for a third and Benzema will earn a net salary of €200 million per season.

Al-Ittihad is managed by former Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

A native of Lyon, Benzema's 648 appearances are fifth all-time in Los Blancos history. His 354 goals are second in club history behind only Cristiano Ronaldo's 450.

With Real, Benzema won four La Liga titles, three Copas del Rey and five Champions League titles.

Internationally, Benzema was capped 97 times by Les Bleus.

Romano notes that the deal for Kanté is expected to be concluded. The World Cup winner will arrive on a free transfer for Chelsea and sign a two-year deal worth €100 million per son.

A native of Paris, Kanté spent the past seven seasons at Stamford Bridge after a £32 million move from Leicester City, with whom he won an improbable Premier League title in 2016. Injuries limited him to only nine appearances across all competitions this past season.

Over his eight seasons in England, Kanté won two league titles, an FA Cup, the 2019 Europa League title and the 2021 Champions League crown.

Internationally, Kanté has been capped 53 times by France and was a member of their 2018 World Cup-winning squad in Russia.