Al-Hilal Plans for Future Without Karim Benzema
Al-Hilal are already sketching out a future without Karim Benzema – but they cannot move until the Frenchman signs off on the past.
Benzema exit plan meets Watkins ambition
Coach Inzaghi has made his choice clear. Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is at the top of his list to lead Al-Hilal’s attack next season, with the Saudi club looking to refresh an ageing squad and sharpen their cutting edge up front.
According to MaxiFoot, the hierarchy are seriously considering cutting ties with the 38-year-old Benzema this summer as part of that overhaul. The idea is bold: move on a 2022 Ballon d’Or winner to build a younger, more dynamic core.
The problem is money.
Benzema is demanding full payment of the final year of his contract before agreeing to a mutual termination. Until that financial stand-off is resolved, the whole plan is stuck. Talks between the player and the club have hit a standstill, and with it, any concrete move for Watkins.
Flashpoint in a 4–2 win
The tension around Benzema’s future spilled into view during Al-Hilal’s 4–2 victory over Al Faisaly on Friday. He had found the net earlier in the game, but his mood darkened when Inzaghi hauled him off with 20 minutes to play, sending on youngster Kader Meite instead.
Benzema’s frustration was obvious. The cameras caught it; the debate followed.
Inzaghi tried to cool things down when he faced the media.
"We talked about that after the match," he said. "It's normal that he wants to play every match, and I understand him because I was a striker too. At that moment, we had another young player available, Kader Meite, who represents the future of the club. I was joking with Karim after the match, and I have a respectful relationship with him. He is not only a great champion, but also a very great professional."
The words were calm, conciliatory, almost protective of his veteran forward. Behind the scenes, the picture is harsher.
Age, quotas and a ruthless calculation
Despite Inzaghi’s public diplomacy, the same report states that Al-Hilal’s management remain intent on terminating Benzema’s deal. This is not just about form or a touchline flash of anger. It is about rules and renewal.
The Saudi Pro League’s strict foreign player quotas leave little room for sentiment. Every non-Saudi slot is precious. Keeping a 38-year-old on a huge contract blocks the path to a younger, long-term option.
The club’s hierarchy want to lower the overall age profile of the squad ahead of next season. Per AS, Inzaghi sees 30-year-old Watkins as the ideal fit: an England international in his prime, coming off a 2025–26 campaign in which he scored 21 goals in 55 appearances for Aston Villa.
Watkins would bring energy, pressing, and a different kind of movement to Al-Hilal’s front line. But he cannot arrive until a space opens.
Everything waits on Benzema
That is the crux. What happens next depends entirely on the financial negotiation between Benzema and the club.
Until they reach an agreement on that final year’s salary, Al-Hilal are effectively handcuffed. They cannot formally advance for Watkins. They cannot free up the foreign player slot. They cannot fully commit to the next phase of their project.
If Benzema accepts a termination package, the club plan to move fast. Their pursuit of Watkins would accelerate immediately, with the Englishman positioned as the new spearhead of Inzaghi’s attack.
For now, though, the former Real Madrid captain remains an Al-Hilal player, still on the books, still occupying a key foreign slot, even as all signs point toward a summer separation.
The question is no longer whether Al-Hilal are ready to move on. It is how long Benzema is prepared to make them wait.
