Karim Benzema seriously considered Lyon return, agent reveals
Karim Benzema's former agent Karim Djaziri confirmed the striker contemplated an emotional homecoming to Lyon, but contractual hurdles made it impossible.
Former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema seriously considered making an emotional return to his boyhood club Lyon this summer. According to his former agent, Karim Djaziri, the idea of a homecoming was something the player contemplated for a long time.
Lyon's general director, Matthieu Louis-Jean, had confirmed that the club explored the possibility of signing their former academy graduate. A return to the Rhone club would have provided a poetic final chapter for the 38-year-old, who rose through their youth ranks before moving to Madrid in 2009.
Returning to Lyon, he thought about it for a long time. It's his city, his team, his club. Karim Djaziri
However, the move failed to materialize due to complex contractual obligations. Djaziri explained that the forward's commitments in the Gulf nation made a departure unfeasible during the summer transfer window, despite Benzema's desire to rejoin his first professional club.
With the transfer window now closed, Benzema remains without a club. While the fairytale homecoming did not happen this summer, the connection between the legendary forward and his hometown club remains strong as he enters the final stages of his career.