Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema will leave Real Madrid as a free agentat the end of the season after 14 trophy-laden years, the club confirmed, with the striker being linked with a move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad. The 35-year-old Frenchman had looked set to stay at the Spanish club for one more year after a 2022-23 season in which he struggled with injuries and missed out on France’s World Cup campaign in Qatar due to another injury. However, an offer estimated by media to be worth more than €100m ($107.05 million) from Saudi Arabia has reportedly made him reconsider his future. The Frenchman decided to void the one-year extension clause he had in his contract.