"Benzema has signed a contract for his transfer to Al-Ittihad, for a period of three years," an internal source at the club based in Jeddah, on the shores of the western Red Sea, told AFP on Tuesday.

This resounding arrival, for an amount still undisclosed but staggering, is part of the great Saudi offensive targeting the stars of European football.

Apart from Luka Modric (2018), all the Ballon d'Or since 2008 could find themselves in the Saudi championship. "Benz" was also seduced by the sirens of the Arabian desert.

And the Croatian is also on a list of aging football stars targeted by the kingdom, such as Lionel Messi, who officially left Paris SG on Saturday.

After 14 years of conquests at Real Madrid, where he won five Champions Leagues, the French international (97 caps, 37 goals) opted for an end of career in the wealthy Saudi Pro League supported by the Saudi Sovereign Fund (FIS), which relies in particular on "soft power", geopolitical influence, through sport.

In recent days, a contract of 200 million euros for two seasons had been mentioned by the Spanish press. The Frenchman finally signed for three years.

Negotiations have accelerated recently -- as recently as Thursday, Benzema, at the end of his contract at the White House, said: "I'm in Madrid. Those who speak do so on the internet, and the reality is not the internet," at a ceremony in tribute to his career organized by the Spanish sports daily Marca.

Champion club

But in Saudi Arabia, the state television channel Al-Ekhbariya said Al-Ittihad had reached an "official" deal for a "record" contract.

The second top scorer in Real Madrid's history, with 354 goals, behind CR7 (450 goals), and the fifth most capped player with 648 matches played, left the Spanish club like a prince, hailed by the Santiago-Bernabeu stadium, his teammates, his coach and his managers.

"Karim Benzema's career at Real Madrid has been an example of behaviour and professionalism, and has represented the values of our club. Karim Benzema has earned the right to decide his future," Real said, hinting that Benzema had chosen not to extend his contract.

The stands of King Abdullah Stadium during a league match between al-Ittihad and al-Hilal, on May 23, 2022 in Jeddah © - / AFP/Archives

A tribute is to be paid to him in Madrid this Tuesday noon.

The "Nueve" will continue his journey started in Lyon with the fresh champions of Saudi Arabia. The yellow and black "Tigers" of Jeddah are the second most successful club in the country, nine-time champions (like Al-Nassr, Ronaldo's team) and winners of two Asian Champions Leagues (Al-Nassr never won it), and also the dean, founded in 1927.

The match between Al-Ittihad (Union, in English) and Al-Hilal Riyadh, the club that courts Lionel Messi, is the "clasico" of the local championship.

Like Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, Benzema will be the overwhelming star of a squad that includes Egyptian internationals Ahmed Hegazy and Angolan Helder Costa, coached by former FC Porto or Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo of Portugal.

But other prestigious teammates could arrive, as the kingdom, criticized for human rights abuses, is determined to use football to improve its international image and has petrodollars galore to satisfy its ambitions.

© 2023 AFP