Real Madrid legend and now free agent Karim Benzema has been linked with a surprise move to the Premier League after leaving the Saudi league this summer.
According to TalkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs, Benzema, 38, could attract interest from English clubs, although they would face competition from Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Jacobs commented Friday on the latest edition of “Hawksbee & Jacobs” that he would not be surprised if the legendary French striker received approaches from England, whether from the Premier League or another league, given his age.
He said, “He’s the most interesting free agent for me. Is someone going to take a punt on him? It wouldn’t surprise me if you get some offers from England, whether or not they’re Premier League clubs, because of his age remains to be seen.”
However, he added that Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr is one of the clubs interested in Benzema, while clubs in Turkey are also continuing to monitor the Frenchman’s situation. “There’s a Saudi club, Al Shabab, that likes Benzema too and as you can imagine lots of Turkish interest in Karim Benzema.”
Premier League clubs are allowed to sign free agents, even though the transfer window has already closed.
TalkSPORT adds that over the years, clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham have all shown interest in Benzema. However, that doesn’t guarantee they are interested in him today.
Karim Benzema’s Numbers Impress Despite Saudi Turmoil
Benzema caused controversy in February 2026 after being transferred from Al-Ittihad to Al Hilal, despite both clubs being owned by the PIF in Saudi Arabia.
The fanbases are not very friendly toward each other, and Al-Ittihad supporters felt that the Frenchman left their club through the back door.
Additionally, Al Hilal already had a striker who would obviously be relegated to a secondary role with Benzema’s arrival: Darwin Núñez. That said, Benzema ignored the noise around him and quickly began to make a difference.
In just 13 appearances across all competitions, he scored nine goals and provided five assists, meaning 14 goal contributions in 13 matches.
This season, he has already played three matches and scored one goal. Despite his good performances, it seems things did not go as well internally between Benzema and Al Hilal.
At 38, Benzema remains a viable attacking option for any team. Proof of this is that before joining Al Hilal, in his previous three seasons with Al-Ittihad, he always recorded more than 15 goal contributions.
During the 2025-26 season, which he did not play entirely with his previous club, he scored 16 goals. In the previous campaign, he scored 25 goals and provided 9 assists; in 2023-24, he recorded 11 goals and 8 assists, not including the 5 goals and 1 assist he registered before the season began in 2023.
Karim Benzema Tipped for Premier League Move After Saudi Exit