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Karim Benzema will reportedly miss Al-Ittihad’s upcoming training camp, fueling speculation about a January exit.
Karim Benzema ended his long-term relationship with Real Madrid in the summer to move to the Middle East.
Since then, the 36-year-old has scored 11 goals in 19 appearances for the Saudi Pro League club, with those strikes coming in three different competitions.
However, things have not been easy since his arrival, with last season’s champions already 25 points behind leaders Al-Hilal in the standings.
Furthermore, Nuno Espirito Santo’s position as head coach was removed, and the Portuguese was replaced by Marcelo Gallardo.
There is hope that the Argentine can turn things around for Al-Ittihad, but he has only won four games in his first nine matches in charge.
Al-Ittihad will now take a break until February 7, with a mid-season training camp in Dubai set to begin on Sunday.
Benzema, on the other hand, will not participate in the trip after being left out of the squad, according to Marca.
Karim Benzema has been completely excluded from the pre-season tour
According to the report, Benzema did not show up to the club facilities on January 12. Gallardo decided to act and exclude him from the next trip as a result.
Manchester United are reportedly keeping an eye on the situation as they consider how to improve their forward line before the current transfer window closes.
There are also rumors that Benzema will soon leave Al-Ittihad after missing three training sessions in recent weeks.
However, the Frenchman is under contract until 2026, and it is unclear how the situation would be handled if Manchester United or any other team were unable to meet those figures.
While Al-Ittihad are not in contention for the Saudi league title, they have advanced to the AFC Champions League’s last 16 and will face Navbahor Namangan next month.
