Spanish Ramón Planes, the sporting director of Al-Ittihad Club, confirmed the key aspects of the upcoming phase within the club, clarifying the management's position on Karim Benzema's continuation and the reality of considering signing the German goalkeeper Ter Stegen.

Planès emphasized in his interview on "Cadena SER" radio that the club is clearly aiming to renew Karim Benzema's contract, affirming that the French striker is the best in the Saudi league.

He pointed out that Benzema had an outstanding season, having scored 24 goals last season, making him a key element in the technical union's project in the upcoming phase.

Planis also touched on his relationship with the Portuguese coach Sérgio Conceição, explaining that working with him is characterized by professionalism despite the pressures, along with adopting a more cautious policy regarding salaries.

The former sporting director of Barcelona spoke about the development of Saudi football, emphasizing that the league is experiencing continuous growth in terms of players and coaches, supported by a clear vision leading up to the 2034 World Cup.

Planis settled the debate about the possibility of signing Ter Stegen, confirming that the club is not considering the Barcelona goalkeeper and emphasizing their full confidence in Serbian Predrag Rajković.

He concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the Saudi transfer market has become more balanced, denying the occurrence of extravagant deals, and indicating that the upcoming phase will see carefully considered signings.