Al-Hilal's Future: Transitioning from Benzema to Ollie Watkins

Al-Hilal are already drawing the line under the Karim Benzema era. The club’s planning for next season is built around a simple idea: get younger, get sharper, and do it fast. At the heart of that plan sits one name – Ollie Watkins.

Benzema exit plan collides with contract reality

According to MaxiFoot, the Saudi club are actively considering cutting ties with the 38-year-old Frenchman this summer to refresh the squad. Simone Inzaghi has made it clear internally who he wants to lead the new-look attack: the Aston Villa striker, Watkins, his top target for next season.

But the grand rebuild is stuck on one issue – money.

Benzema, the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner, is demanding full payment of the final year of his contract before he agrees to a mutual termination. Until that financial stand-off is settled, Al-Hilal are effectively locked. No agreement, no exit. No exit, no Watkins.

Negotiations between Benzema and the club hierarchy are at a standstill, and that stalemate is now shaping the entire summer.

Flashpoint in a 4–2 win

The tension spilled into public view during Al-Hilal's 4-2 victory over Al Faisaly on Friday night. Benzema found the net earlier in the game, but the goal did not soften the blow when he saw his number go up with 20 minutes left.

Inzaghi sent on youngster Kader Meite, and Benzema’s frustration was obvious as he came off. Cameras caught the reaction; the debate started instantly.

Inzaghi tried to cool everything down in his post-match comments.

"We talked about that after the match," he said. "It's normal that he wants to play every match, and I understand him because I was a striker too. At that moment, we had another young player available, Kader Meite, who represents the future of the club. I was joking with Karim after the match, and I have a respectful relationship with him. He is not only a great champion, but also a very great professional."

Diplomatic, calm, and protective of his veteran. But behind the scenes, the direction of travel looks very different.

Foreign quota, younger core, Watkins at the centre

Despite Inzaghi’s public defence, the same report states that Al-Hilal’s management remain intent on terminating Benzema’s deal. The decision is not purely sporting. It is structural.

The Saudi Pro League’s strict foreign player quotas are forcing hard choices. Keeping a 38-year-old on a marquee contract in a key foreign slot runs against the club’s push to lower the age profile of the squad before next season.

Per AS, Inzaghi sees 30-year-old Watkins as the perfect solution. The England international scored 21 goals in 55 appearances for Aston Villa during the 2025-26 campaign, numbers that fit neatly into Al-Hilal’s vision of a more dynamic, Premier League-hardened attack.

Watkins is the profile they want. The problem is the profile they still have.

One decision unlocks the entire window

Everything now hangs on a single outcome: whether Benzema accepts a termination deal that satisfies his financial demands.

Until that happens, Al-Hilal cannot move formally for Watkins. The foreign player slot remains occupied, the wage bill remains heavy, and the project remains paused.

If Benzema signs off on an exit, Al-Hilal are expected to immediately accelerate their pursuit of the Aston Villa forward. The plan is ready. The target is chosen. The age reset is mapped out.

For now, though, the former Real Madrid captain is still an Al-Hilal player, still training, still under contract – a symbol of the present, standing in the way of the future the club are desperate to build.