Karim Benzema came close to rejoining former club Lyon this summer, but his transfer from Al Hilal collapsed.The deal did not get completed despite the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner offering to return to France and play for free.Benzema offered to rejoin hometown club Lyon and play for freeGettyBenzema was willing to play for his hometown side again without a salary, according to L’Equipe.However, at the time the Ligue 1 club were considering an approach, he was still under contract in Saudi Arabia. The Real Madrid legend has since had his deal terminated just six months after joining Al Hilal from Al Ittihad.He departed the club after they announced the signing of Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa.It means that Benzema is now a free agent, but a move to Lyon reportedly remains ‘impossible’.Why did Benzema not join Lyon?L’Equipe have revealed that his contract as an ambassador for the Saudi Pro League is preventing him from a transfer.His deal is still in place until 2030 and he is keen to honour it, making a move back to his former club extremely difficult.The PIF have Benzema’s image rights and there have been no negotiations with Ligue 1, as reaching agreement over an exception would have been ‘nearly impossible’. Due to that, it has been reported that the former France international could end up deciding to retire. The 38-year-old will be 43 by the end of his Saudi contract.Benzema played for Lyon at the start of his career, coming through their academyGettyBenzema denied dream returnSo, Benzema won’t be joining Lyon for a second stint at the club in which he started his successful career. The striker played 148 games for the French giants’ first team after coming through their academy system from 1997. He scored 66 goals and provided 25 assists before leaving to join Real Madrid in 2009. Of course, Benzema would go on to win the Ballon d’Or as a Real player, also becoming a club legend in Spain. He played 648 games for the club – the fifth-highest ever for Los Blancos – scoring 354 goals and sitting below only Cristiano Ronaldo in their all-time history of goalscorers.Benzema left Madrid for Saudi Arabia in 2023 after 14 years, going on to win one league title, two cups and Player of the Year with Al Ittihad. Benzema’s Saudi contract means he’ll struggle to find a new teamGettyBut after turning down a contract and leaving Al Ittihad for Al Hilal last summer, his career took a downturn.Hilal manager Simone Inzaghi’s decision to bring in another striker, Watkins, left Benzema unhappy and he mutually terminated his contract amid plans to be left out of their league squad.He scored 10 goals and assisted five in just 16 appearances.