Karim Benzema transfer: Al Ittihad believe they are very close to snaring Real Madrid's Ballon d'Or holder

The French striker's time at Real may be over with the Saudi Pro League potentially his destination

Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad believe they are very close to securing the signature of men's Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema at the start of a summer that could see a rush of veteran talent to Saudi Arabia. CBS Sports first revealed an offer to Benzema from the Jeddah side in April, noting at the time that they were optimistic that the 35-year-old could be tempted to depart Real Madrid.

Head coach Carlo Ancelotti has previously indicated that Benzema agreed to extend his stay at Real Madrid, where he is the second highest goalscorer in club history. However, that deal has not been formally announced and the France international could earn dramatically more if he makes the move to Al Ittihad, with sources in Saudi Arabia indicating his base salary would amount to around €100 million a year. The man he trails in Madrid's scoring charts, Cristiano Ronaldo, made the move to Saudi Arabia in January and while he has struggled for form on the field his arrival may prove pivotal in changing perceptions of the Pro League among veterans, many of whom are being eyed up this summer.

Alexis Sanchez is wanted by Al Khaleej if they can avoid relegation on the final day of the season and the Chilean is said to be keen on making the switch when his contract with Marseille expires next month. Al Nassr, meanwhile, hope to add a marquee midfielder to play alongside Ronaldo and are monitoring the state of contract negotiations between N'Golo Kante and Chelsea. There is also interest in snaring Luka Modric from Real Madrid.