Surprise: Al-Hilal plans to release Karim Benzema!

The French striker in the eye of the storm

Al-Hilal have made a surprising call, opening the door to offloading French striker Karim Benzema this season.

Saudi journalist Ahmed Al-Ajlan says Al-Hilal are weighing up a financial settlement with Benzema, provided they land a new goalscoring striker in the current summer transfer window.

The news broke a day after the striker's flashpoint, when he objected to being substituted in the 70th minute during the 4-2 win over Al-Faisaly on the opening round of the Roshn League.

Al-Hilal manager Simone Inzaghi defended Benzema's frustration after the final whistle, calling it only natural that the Frenchman would want as much playing time as possible.

Benzema arrived at Al-Hilal last winter on a free transfer, having terminated his contract with Al-Ittihad.

The former Real Madrid man has since made 14 appearances for "the Boss" across all competitions. He has scored 10 goals and added five assists in that time.