One of the best strikers in the last decade is a free agent after a sudden closure of his Saudi Arabia adventure. From the moment Karim Benzema cut ties with Al-Ittihad, rumors started to spread about his next destination. Lyon was the logical choice, but that option is not longer on the table. The next big news in Germany. Several media outlets, including Bild, have reported this information, citing their own sources. Apparently, the French striker would like to continue his career at Bayer Leverkusen, and with that in mind, he has spoken to his former teammate and close friend from his days in Madrid — Lucas Vazquez — as well as Moussa Diaby, with whom he played together at Al-Ittihad.##TWITTER_<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="pt" dir="ltr">⚠️ Apesar dos rumores nas últimas horas, Karim Benzema não reforçará o Bayer Leverkusen.<br><br>O rumor ganhou força por conta das relações do centroavante francês de 38 anos com Moussa Diaby e Lucas Vázquez, além de um “detalhe”: ele segue o Leverkusen no Instagram.<br><br>Diante da… <a href="https://t.co/jQPe9r7rn2">pic.twitter.com/jQPe9r7rn2</a></p>— Bundesliga Insider (@BundesInsider) <a href="https://x.com/BundesInsider/status/2099538415666503876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>##Benzema liked everything he heard from them. He was impressed by the way the club operates, the fact that they are playing in the Europa League and that they are aiming to qualify for the Champions League next year. The fact that he recently followed Bayer on Instagram also suggests that something may be brewing. But the club’s sporting director ‘poured cold water’ on those rumors."Our team is fully prepared for a demanding season. What does that mean? It means that we are not currently considering any new signings" said Simon Rolfes.##LINKED_NEWS_68228##A move for Benzema would certainly be interesting from a marketing perspective and would attract more interest for Bundesliga as well, but the club feels that they have enough strikers in the team. Leverkusen counts on Patrik Schick (30), top talent Christian Kofane (20) – and Victor Boniface (25), who is recovering from a serious knee injury. It is also interesting to know that Benzema is a free agent, which means he can sign for anybody at any point in time, but doing so would mean he would forfeit the guaranteed 80 million euros remaining on the four-year promotional contract he signed with Saudi Arabia. The only other option is to find a club and then ask for permission from the Saudis to sign.