Madrid, June 4: Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has agreed a deal to leave the club, the Spanish giants said Sunday.
The 35-year-old forward has been heavily linked this week with a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia and Saudi state television channel Al-Ekhbariya reported Sunday that he had signed with Jeddah-based Al-Ittihad.
“Real Madrid and our captain Karim Benzema have agreed to put an end to his brilliant and unforgettable era as a player at our club,” said Los Blancos in a statement.
“Madrid want to show their gratitude and all their love to someone who is one of our greatest legends.”
The announcement comes after Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti had said Saturday there was “no doubt” about Benzema’s future being at Madrid, noting the forward had one more year left on his contract.
And Benzema himself had said “not everything you read on the internet is reality” after reports emerged in the week about his potential departure to Saudi Arabia, where his former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo is playing for Al Nassr.
According to Al-Ekhbariya, however, the president of Saudi champions Al-Ittihad and his deputy were in Madrid “to officially sign” Benzema in a “record transfer with Real Madrid”.
The TV channel said Benzema had agreed a two-year deal with the club, based on the Red Sea shores of the Gulf kingdom.countries’ largest trading partners and the trade between China and Arab countries exceeded US$ 430 billion last year.
“China and Arab countries enjoy a long tradition of friendship,” she said during her regular briefing in response to a question about visits of Chinese business delegations visiting Arab countries these days.
Mao Ning said that China had long been Arab countries’ largest trading partner, adding, “Last year, trade between China and Arab countries exceeded US$ 430 billion.”ť
The spokesperson said that under the Belt and Road framework, the two sides had robust cooperation, which boosted respective development and rejuvenation.
She said that the success of the first China-Arab States Summit at the end of last year injected fresh impetus into the growth of China-Arab relations and cooperation in various sectors.
” We are confident that guided by the spirit of the summit, cooperation between the two sides, including trade, will continue to deepen and deliver more benefits to our peoples,”ť he added.
