No salary. He was on board
It’s the kind of story people tell down the pub 20 years later. Except this one happened this summer.
According to L’Equipe, which broke the news on Saturday, Olympique Lyonnais did seriously look into bringing Karim Benzema back during the last transfer window. The paper says talks took place between Lyon’s hierarchy and the player’s camp, and the main man was genuinely keen.
The detail that changes everything: according to the paper, Benzema was ready to wear the shirt of his boyhood club for one final season without taking a penny in wages. Money was not the issue. Paperwork was.
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Saudi Arabia slammed the door
The 38-year-old striker has been a free agent for a week. He agreed an amicable end to the final year of his contract with Al-Hilal, where he had arrived in January after winning everything in Al-Ittihad colours. His Saudi spell ran out because his minutes dried up.
But the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner remains tied to the kingdom by a Saudi Pro League ambassador deal running until 2030. That status comes with strict legal constraints and seriously limits his freedom to sign elsewhere.
So he could not free himself in time, and the move could not be completed before the transfer deadline. A missed chance by a matter of weeks.
A circle that will not be completed
Benzema left Lyon in 2009 for Real Madrid, having already banked four French league titles. His giant mural in Bron is a daily reminder of what the club gave him, and what he gave the club.
A return for the No 9 had become the classic Lyon transfer rumour, dragged out every window for years. This time, it was only a matter of admin.
At 38, with exotic options on one side and retirement on the other, that door may never open again.
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