Chelsea will have to look elsewhere for their short-term fix up front. Karim Benzema is committed to playing for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad despite links with a move elsewhere.
The Frenchman’s agent Karim Djaziri has shut down the rumours that his client isn’t happy in Saudi Arabia by insisting the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner will “100%” remain in Saudi Arabia past the January transfer window.
This comes just three weeks after he ‘went missing’ hours before his side’s league fixture with Al Taee. According to the Saudi outlet Al-Riyadiya, Benzema left Jeddah on the day of the game without being granted permission to do so which didn’t go down well with his club.
Luckily for Al-Ittihad, the game was postponed until February 7 as the plane carrying the visiting team could not land due to severe weather conditions. It was thought Benzema may be looking to force a move away with his actions yet it appears he is happy to stay put.
This will come as a disappointment for Chelsea who are in desperate need of a striker. The Blues wanted to bring Benzema in on loan until the end of the season to take some pressure off Nicolas Jackson but that won’t be possible now.
Instead, Todd Boehly may turn his attention to former Liverpool star Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian centre-forward hasn’t started for Al-Ahli since October after being ousted from the starting XI by Saudi Arabian international Firas Al-Buraikan.
French outlet Football365 claim Firmino’s patience is wearing thin and he is now looking for a January exit while one of the only clubs that could stomach a decent chunk of his astronomical wages is Chelsea.
Several Premier League clubs have spoken to his representatives about potentially returning to English football including Chelsea. Now that the Benzema deal is off the table the Blues are expected to firm up their interest.
