Al Ittihad experienced a very significant decline in performance, they need to completely overhaul their main squad if they want to appear again as title contenders in the Saudi Pro League. In a short span of time, three meetings in two competitions, Al Ittihad were completely defeated by Al Hilal. A very volatile period, and Al Hilal had the opposite by going untouched by defeat.
Benzema has failed to impress since he was brought from Madrid, various rumors about his relationship with the club have circulated, perhaps this is one of the factors why Al Ittihad is experiencing inconsistency. Now that they have lost the SPL trophy and been eliminated from the Asian Champions League, it looks like Al Ittihad management needs to add more top European players in the future.
With the financial strength that Al Ittihad has, it can bring in top European players, and can even recruit top European coaches. If they don't move actively next season, then we won't see them becoming a team that can compete with Al Hilal, Al Nasr or Al Ahli in the hunt for trophies. In the remaining matches this season, Al Ittihad is only trying to maintain its position in fourth place in the standings, so as not to be overtaken by Al Taawon.
Al Ittihad this season is unable to compete with Al Hillal and even Al Nassr in the SPL, despite having Karim Benzema and Kante in their squad this season but in fact they have to lag quite far behind Al Hillal in the league, and even now Al Ittihad must also be eliminated from the Asian Champions League after being defeated by Al Hillal 4-0 on aggregate, As a team that has spent a lot of money to sign players like Benzema and Kante, of course, the current 4th position in the standings is a sign of failure for them.
To compete for the title next season of course Al Ittihad must immediately evaluate their team after the season ends later, and I think Al Ittihad should act firmly on everything that Benzema has done in this seasons because after all Benzema previous absence from training is a form of indiscipline, indeed we admit Benzema is a top player but I think in a team the management should not distinguish between one player With other players, especially by specializing these players so that in the end the squad will be divided and have no harmony.
Reportedly Al Ittihad has now made an offer to Liverpool to bring Salah next season to the SPL, which to his horror Al Ittihad sent a blank check for Liverpool to write whatever price they asked to release Salah in the bid proposal.