Exclusive: Chelsea could give Benzema a chance but this European transfer is more likely, says expert

French football expert Jonathan Johnson has provided some insight into Karim Benzema’s situation as it looks like he could already be on his way out of Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad for a return to Europe.

The veteran forward, who left Real Madrid for Saudi Arabia in the summer, already looks to be in a tense situation with Al Ittihad, with Johnson confirming previous claims made by his fellow Daily Briefing columnist Fabrizio Romano.

According to Johnson, as he spoke exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest column in the Daily Briefing, Benzema could still be a tempting option for clubs like Chelsea, though he imagines a more likely move might be a return to his old club Lyon.

Benzema started his career at Lyon before a big move to Real Madrid at a young age, and he ended up spending the vast majority of his career at the Bernabeu, becoming a club legend with over 350 goals for the club in all competitions, and numerous major honours including five Champions League titles.

Chelsea are short of options up front at the moment so could surely do well to sign the 36-year-old on a short-term deal, but Johnson expects he might be more tempted to go back to Lyon and help them out of their predicament as they struggle in Ligue 1 this season.

“There has been growing talk of Karim Benzema possibly leaving Al Ittihad already, just a few months after his move from Real Madrid as one of a number of players joining the Saudi Pro League project. We’ve seen Jordan Henderson moving from Al Ettifaq to Ajax, and, as Fabrizio Romano notes, Benzema’s situation at his club is tense as well at the moment. Chelsea have been reported as exploring the option of signing the veteran forward on loan, and it’s no secret that things haven’t gone as hoped in Saudi,” Johnson explained.

“Despite links with the Premier League, I think there’s the growing possibility that Benzema might consider a short-term move back to his former club Lyon, to help them out of their current predicament as they fight for survival in Ligue 1.

“If he’s not happy at Al Ittihad then, as we saw with Henderson, there might be a way for him to get out of his agreement there. It’s probably quite worrying for Saudi Arabia that so many of these star names are already considering returning to Europe after just a few months on board with this new project.

“I’m not sure Benzema, at his age, will still be at the same level we saw from him at Real Madrid. Injuries were catching up with him there as well and that hasn’t changed, but of course he’s still of the quality that I could imagine big names like Chelsea being willing to give him a chance.

“He’ll have to choose his next move wisely, and that’s why I think a return to Lyon might be one to watch – he could be a real talismanic figure there … It wouldn’t surprise me to see him return to Europe in the next few weeks.”