Will Karim Benzema earn more than Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi? Report highlights details as Real Madrid striker edges closer to Al-Ittihad move

Karim Benzema will reportedly earn less than former Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo if he decides to move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad this summer.

Benzema has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia with his contract with Real Madrid expiring in the summer. As per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the French striker is seriously considering a move and could make his decision before the end of this week.

If Benzema moves to Al-Ittihad, he would follow in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in December last year. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract, with his salary being a massive €200 million per year, including commercials.

As per journalist Toni Juanmarti, Benzema will earn less than €200 million per year if he joins Al-Ittihad in the summer. Regardless, he claimed that the Saudi Arabian club are confident of signing the French striker and have agreed to a lot of his demands.

Benzema has had a tough 2022-23 campaign which followed a phenomenal previous season. The veteran striker won the 2022 Ballon d'Or as he helped Real Madrid win the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League trophies.

This season, however, the 35-year-old has had to deal with multiple injury issues. He has scored 30 goals in 41 games across competitions for Los Blancos.

Benzema also retired from the French national team after he missed out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup due to an injury. The former Olympique Lyon was Didier Deschamps' squad but picked up an injury in the warm-up ahead of the tournament.

Hence, Benzema can now look to put all that behind him and start a new chapter in Saudi Arabia. Al-Ittihad are also on a high after winning the Saudi Pro League above Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, who could only manage second place.

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How many games Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo played together at Real Madrid?

Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid from Olympique Lyon and Manchester United respectively in 2009. They played 342 games together and combined for 76 goals during their time together at the Spanish club.

Earlier in the spell, Benzema played a subdued role behind Ronaldo, scoring 192 goals in 412 games for Los Blancos. However, since the Portuguese icon's move to Juventus in 2018, he has scored 161 goals in 235 games.

Benzema is second on Real Madrid's all-time top scorer's list, with 353 goals in 647 games. Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list with 450 goals in 438 games.

The duo also faced each other five times for club and country with the Frenchman winning two, losing one, and drawing two of those encounters.

They can now perhaps face each other once again if Benzema does move to Al-Ittihad in the summer.