N’Golo Kante, 32, is leaving Chelsea.
European transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano said on July 7: “Kante is on the verge of joining Al Ittihad on a free transfer. The final details are being discussed and an offer is expected to be accepted. The contract will run until 2025, with an annual salary of €100 million.”
He went on to provide additional news. “The Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund (PIF) and the board of directors of Al Ittihad are meeting with Quante agents in London to finalize the contract,” Romano wrote, adding, “Here we go is expected soon.” “Here we go” is Romano’s way of signaling that the move has been finalized.
French midfielder Kante made his professional debut for US Boulogne in 2012. He then moved to SM Caen, where he was a key figure in their promotion and retention, and attracted interest from the English Premier League (EPL). He then moved to Leicester City in the summer of 2015 for a fee of €9 million.
He wrote a fairytale with Leicester. In 37 EPL games (1 goal, 4 assists) in the 2015-16 season, Kante anchored the midfield with a tremendous amount of activity and excellent defense as the Foxes won 23 games, drew 12 and lost 3 (81 points) to win the surprise title. This proved his worth in the EPL as well.
Within a season, Kante had attracted interest from multiple clubs and joined Chelsea for €35.8 million ahead of the 2016-17 season. He has since 스포츠토토 played 269 official games (13 goals, 16 assists) and won the EPL, English FA Cup, UEFA Champions League (UCL), UEFA Europa League (UEL), UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup with the Blues.
Kante’s last contract with the club was in November 2018 and expires in June 2023. He was initially linked with a new deal during the season, but nothing was finalized, and he was linked with several clubs in the meantime.
In the end, he decided to leave Chelsea. Kante is heading to Saudi Arabia for a new challenge. According to Romano, Al Ittihad have offered him a two-year contract and €100 million a year. The €100 million includes image rights and commercial deals. The likes of Matteo Moretti have also reportedly made progress in negotiations, making a move to Al Etihad a strong possibility.
We won’t be seeing Kante in a Chelsea shirt in the EPL next season.