The N’Golo Kante Saudi Arabia transfer is confirmed, with the French midfielder agreeing to a €100 million per season offer from Al Ittihad.
The midfielder has completed the medical assessment for the transfer, and an official announcement has now been made, confirming his arrival.
He had been locked in contract negotiations with Chelsea for the last few months, as his current deal runs out at the end of the season. While an agreement was seemingly close, his recurring injuries have complicated the renewal process and it seems more and more likely that he could leave as a free agent. And with a once-in-a-lifetime payday opportunity like that he has been presented, he has left Chelsea as a free agent in the summer as part of their massive squad clearout.
N’Golo Kante Saudi Arabia rumours: Midfielder offered big money contract
The priority for N’Golo Kante had always been to continue at Chelsea because he loves the club, and the city. But, contract negotiations stalled since March.
The €100 million per year contract will be valid for four years until 2027, as agreed between the two clubs. Kante will be the third major European star to accept a move to Saudi Arabia within the last few months, following Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
Which club will N’Golo Kante join in Saudi Arabia?
The race was between Al Hilal and Al Ittihad, who recently signed Benzema. And the latter is the club that has won the race to sign the World Cup winning midfielder.
Al Ittihad will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming season, with two of the best French players in the world in their line-up. However, it will be interesting to see whether any other big players make the move to Saudi Arabia due to the insane financial offers that they are being presented with.
Several other Chelsea players including Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy and Hakim Ziyech are close to signing for Saudi Arabian clubs themselves. An agreement is close with all three players, and they could follow Kante to the Gulf State for the coming season soon.
N’Golo Kante Saudi Arabia transfer: How will Chelsea cope with his loss?
The Blues have already started planning for life without N’Golo Kante. They are looking at other defensive midfielders to play alongside Kante, who has been a massive presence in Chelsea’s midfield for the last few seasons. In 22/23, recurring injuries kept him on the sidelines, and have made it difficult for the board to hand him a new contract for an extended stay.
The likes of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia are on Chelsea’s list – and the Blues have gone all-in to sign the Brighton midfielder. A deal has not been agreed as of yet due to the £80 million asking price. However, Chelsea are also in the race to sign Declan Rice, in spite of Arsenal leading the race to sign him.
