Karim Benzema's brother has dismissed suggestions that the Al-Ittihad forward could return to Real Madrid on loan before the end of the January transfer window.
There is currently a host of speculation surrounding Benzema's future, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all credited with an interest in him.
The 36-year-old left Real Madrid last summer to make the move to Al-Ittihad, but he is believed to be unsettled at the Saudi Arabian club and is keen on a return to Europe for the second half of the 2023-24 campaign.
According to Sport, Los Blancos head coach Carlo Ancelotti has asked club president Florentino Perez to bring the experienced striker back to Bernabeu this month.
The report claims that Ancelotti 'continues to miss Benzema', with the forward's decision not to sign a new deal at Real Madrid last summer coming as a huge surprise considering his importance to the club.
© Reuters
Ancelotti was allegedly hopeful of convincing Perez to make a loan offer, but the president is not believed to be planning to make an attempt to re-sign him.
Benzema's brother has now reacted to the reports, and he posted "fake news" next to a story which claimed that Perez had rejected a return to Real Madrid for the experienced striker.
The forward is believed to earn in the region of £88m a year at Al-Ittihad, meaning that a six-month loan deal would prove to be incredibly costly for the La Liga title challengers.
Benzema recently played down suggestions that he wants to leave Al-Ittihad, telling reporters: "It's completely false! The French media don't know what to invent any more. The bigger the better."
⚪️ "Carlo Ancelotti would be open to Benzema's return to Real Madrid but Florentino Perez said no".
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 25, 2024
⛔️🇫🇷 Karim Benzema's brother denies: "Fake news", sharing the news from France. pic.twitter.com/CenN458PSc
Benzema has scored 12 goals and registered five assists in 20 appearances for Al-Ittihad since his arrival, but the reigning champions are seventh in the Saudi Pro League table.
The forward has a contract with his current side until June 2026, meanwhile, which further complicates a potential exit from the Saudi Arabian club.
Benzema scored 354 goals and registered 165 assists in 648 appearances for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2023 during a hugely successful spell.
The Frenchman's unexpected departure last summer saw Ancelotti change his formation for this season, with new signing Jude Bellingham often playing behind a front two of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.
Real Madrid remain the favourites to sign Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, and his arrival could see the team switch back to a 4-3-3, although there have been claims that Vinicius could be sold if Mbappe moves to Bernabeu.
Matt Law
