Asian football is enjoying an unprecedented boom across Europe's top five leagues, driven by massive contingents from Japan and South Korea. Indonesian talents have also made historic inroads by featuring in four of the top five divisions alongside representatives from Thailand, China, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.
This summer, Benzema came remarkably close to a sensational return to Lyon and was prepared to play without pay for his boyhood club. But complex contractual hurdles ultimately caused the move to collapse.
