Ittihad's High-Stakes Signing: Can Yusuf En-Nesyri Fill Benzema's Shoes?
9 March 2026
Deal to Fill Benzema's Void
The deal was made to replace Benzema.
Background and Critics
Mohamed Al-Daie, a legend of Al-Hilal, criticized the winter signing of Moroccan Yusuf En-Nesyri, the Ittihad striker.
Ittihad reshaped its squad in the winter market, most notably by signing En-Nesyri, in a deal linked to the transfer of Frenchman Ngolo Kante to Fenerbahçe.
The Moroccan star was brought in to replace Benzema, who moved to Al-Hilal after a dispute with the club's administration and a refusal to extend his contract that runs out at the end of the season.
En-Nesyri appeared for Ittihad in seven matches, scoring three goals and assisting once.
Yet Al-Daei says the deal does not meet the club's requirements, especially after Benzema's departure.
In a TV interview, he said that who chose Yusuf En-Nesyri instead of Benzema has set Ittihad back, and since the French star's departure he feels the team has lost a leader's presence on the pitch; his imprint and decisions were there, and just as we talk about Cristiano Ronaldo's personality, Benzema has that same character.
The club has lost its most important asset, Benzema, who had won the league and cup with the club and was a big force. In his view, Ittihad made a mistake signing En-Nesyri.
Hamad Al-Muntashri, former Ittihad star, replied to Al-Daei's remarks: Benzema is a great player with leadership, and there is no dispute on that, but after signing En-Nesyri suitable resources were required.
He added: En-Nesyri is a fine player, and the club should provide the solutions to help him score like he did with Sevilla, Morocco's national team, and Fenerbahçe.
He concluded: This can't be judged yet; we should wait until the end of the season to evaluate the experiment, especially since his contract still runs for a season and a half.
Punchline 1: If football deals were weather, this forecast calls for a few goals and a gust of debate.
Punchline 2: They say transfers are love stories; this one just added a plot twist and a bigger bench of questions.
