Following several standout years at Chelsea, N’Golo Kanté made the surprising decision to join Al Ittihad as a free agent in 2023. Far from dimming his best version, the Frenchman has remained one of the team’s top players. Despite this, he was reportedly set to move to Fenerbahçe, but a curious error caused the deal to collapse. In response, the 34-year-old star has reportedly made a decisive decision at Al Ittihad.
According to Florian Plettenberg, Al Ittihad and Fenerbahçe reached an agreement for the transfer of N’Golo Kanté. The deal was closed at €4 million and included Youssef En-Nesyri moving to the Arab club. With this, the Frenchman was set for a triumphant return to European leagues, signing a contract through 2028. However, the entire operation collapsed due to an error reported by the Turkish club, which brought the case to light.
“The transfer process involving Al Ittihad Club, N’Golo Kanté, and Youssef En-Nesyri has been meticulously managed by our club in line with our plans and with utmost care in all respects… The documents regarding the transfer registration have been uploaded to the system correctly… However, due to the erroneous entry of the relevant TMS information by the opposing club, the procedures could not be completed within the transfer registration period,” Fenerbahçe announced, via X.
Given the advanced stage of the deal and Al Ittihad’s alleged mistake, N’Golo Kanté made a surprising decision. According to Ben Jacobs on X, formerly Twitter, he refused to train with the team today as he continues to pursue a move to Fenerbahçe. His departure would be a significant setback, as the team failed to secure Gustavo Sa and has already lost Karim Benzema. Additionally, replacing Kanté would be impossible now that the transfer window has closed.
Ngolo Kante of Al Ittihad.
Kanté still chases his arrival to Fenerbahce amid a FIFA complain
Although the transfer window has officially closed, N’Golo Kanté remains determined to secure a move to Fenerbahçe. According to L’Équipe, the Turkish club has decided to officially appeal to FIFA and is now awaiting a formal ruling. In light of this, the Frenchman has reportedly decided to explore all his options by skipping training, as he aims to ensure his return to European leagues.
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Karim Benzema breaks silence with farewell message as he exits Al Ittihad for Al Hilal amid SPL tensions
Al Ittihad secured a young striker as Benzema’s successor
Following Karim Benzema’s departure, Youssef En-Nesyri had been tipped as the Frenchman’s successor, meaning his exit could represent a major blow for the club. However, they reportedly had an ace up their sleeve, as they moved to secure the arrival of a young striker. According to Fabrizio Romano, Georges Ilenikhena will become a new Al Ittihad player after the club agreed to pay €33 million to AS Monaco for his transfer, securing a replacement for the veteran Frenchman.
