Exclusive to Kooora: decisive hours in Karim Benzema's future with Al-Hilal

Will the French star leave?

France's Karim Benzema is awaiting a decisive verdict on his future with "the Boss" over the coming hours. The Al-Hilal striker's fate hangs on the Saudi club closing in on the signing of England's Ollie Watkins, the Aston Villa forward who has emerged as one of their most prominent targets to bolster the attack.

Benzema joined Al-Hilal in the last winter transfer window after terminating his contract with Al-Ittihad. His spell with "the Boss" has not gone as planned. He has struggled to deliver the levels the fans crave, with repeated talk that he has failed to fully gel with the ideas of Italian coach Simone Inzaghi.

A source close to Al-Hilal told "Kooora" that the coming hours will be decisive in settling Benzema's position. The strong tendency is towards ending the contractual relationship between the two parties through a financial settlement, under which the French striker would receive all his entitlements and remaining salaries.

That scenario, the source explained, is directly linked to concluding the Watkins deal. The club consider signing the English striker the most important step before taking a final decision on Benzema, which ties the Frenchman's future largely to the outcome of negotiations with Aston Villa.

Should Al-Hilal reach a final agreement with Watkins and then complete the settlement with Benzema, the French striker is expected to receive more than 100 million euros for ending his contract with "the Boss" and paying out his full financial entitlements. It would rank among the biggest settlements the transfer market has seen.

The Watkins deal has therefore become the key to Benzema's future with Al-Hilal. Secure the arrival of the English striker and the doors may open for the Frenchman's departure and the start of a new attacking era. Let the deal collapse and Benzema could well remain in the squad. Either way, the coming hours look decisive in determining the course of one of the biggest files in the Saudi transfer window.