Karim Benzema’s Saudi agreement puts Lyon comeback in doubt

Lyon have been unable to complete a proposed move for Karim Benzema after an agreement linking the former France international to the Saudi Pro League until 2030 prevented him from returning to his boyhood club.

The Ligue 1 side had reportedly explored an unusual arrangement that would have allowed the 38-year-old striker to go back to France on a nominal contract. Benzema was said to be enthusiastic about the possibility before his contract with Al-Hilal was terminated.

However, although Benzema is now a free agent, he is not free to join another club in the usual sense because of his continuing responsibilities to the Saudi Pro League.

Sources close to Benzema’s camp say Lyon’s management contacted him before his Al-Hilal deal was ended. The proposed return was understood to have appealed to the player, who began his career at Lyon and had been considered for a possible emotional reunion with the club.

That plan has been obstructed by an agreement with the Saudi League which runs until 2030. According to L’Equipe, the arrangement means Benzema cannot sign for a club outside the Saudi Pro League while he remains bound by its terms.

Benzema’s exit from Al-Hilal was settled in Riyadh after Italian coach Simone Inzaghi signed Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa for nearly €60m. The French striker’s departure left him without a club, but the terms of his wider agreement with Saudi football continue to restrict his options.

The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), which oversees the country’s major sporting investments, requires high-profile players covered by image-rights contracts to remain within the Saudi Pro League. Those agreements include obligations such as attending sporting events organised by the Kingdom.

As a result, Benzema’s status as an ambassador for the Saudi Pro League means he cannot simply accept a conventional free transfer elsewhere, despite no longer being contracted to Al-Hilal.

The situation could bring an early end to Benzema’s professional playing career. He would be 43 when the agreement expires in 2030, making retirement increasingly likely if he is unable to continue playing outside Saudi Arabia.

Benzema, who became one of the leading forwards of his generation after leaving Lyon, had been linked with a return to the club where he developed as a player. Lyon’s reported proposal would have offered him the chance to finish his career in France, but the Saudi agreement has effectively blocked that route for now.

With the ambassadorial arrangement still in place, the former French international faces a choice between remaining connected to Saudi football until 2030 or ending his playing career. For Lyon, the restrictions have brought an end to hopes of seeing Benzema back at the club this summer.