Karim Benzema's former agent thinks Real Madrid star will return to hometown club Olympique Lyonnais

Karim Benzema's former agent revealed that the French forward could return to Lyon before he ends his career.

Benzema came through the ranks at the Ligue 1 side, scoring 66 goals in 148 appearances before sealing a €35million move to Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2009.

Benzema is still are the Santiago Bernabeu and has become one of the top central strikers in world football, but former representative Karim Djaziri believes he could return to his roots before his playing days are done.

Djaziri said: 'Today, with the situation that he is in at Real Madrid, he has reached the peak of what every footballer wants.

'Playing in Madrid, being very close with his coach, adored by the public... it is not possible that he'll back a comeback today.

'But, since he left Lyon, Karim has had only one desire and that is to return to Lyon. Will it be as a player?'

Djaziri believes Benzema has unfinished business at his hometown club, leading OL to four consecutive Ligue 1 titles between 2004 and 2008 but never bringing home the Champions League trophy for the French side.

As Benzema swapped Lyon for Madrid, the French side then embarked on a run to their first Champions League semi-final appearance in 2010, led by the Frenchman's replacement Lisandro Lopez.

At that point, Benzema had believed his chances of lifting the Champions League trophy had improved by moving to Madrid, but a fall-out with former boss Jose Mourinho nearly led to him leaving the Santiago Bernabeu.

Djaziri convinced the striker to stay in Spain and the 32-year-old has never looked back since.

The agent added: 'It remains a regret for Karim not to have gone further in the Champions League. When he left, Lyon made the semi-finals.

'When things went wrong with Mourinho, he would say to me, "I want to go back to Lyon".

'But I said to him, "No, you're going to stick it out and you're going to make it". And he made it.'

Benzema is set to lift a third La Liga title with Real Madrid if Los Blancos beat Villarreal on Thursday evening, in a domestic league season where the Frenchman has scored 19 goals in 35 matches.

The 32-year-old has netted five goals since the La Liga season resumed following the coronavirus crisis, a total which includes a goal in each of his last two games.

But his former agent feels it is inevitable that Benzema will return to the Stade de Lumieres at some point in his life.

Djaziri said: 'It's in the back of his mind and I think it is possible. If he has the legs and he thinks it's time to go and do something good, he'll come back.

'If he doesn't return as a player, I see him returning to Lyon in another role perhaps. I know that he really wants it.'

Since joining Madrid 11 years ago, Benzema has scored 246 goals in 510 matches for the Spanish giants.