Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante is set to leave the club as a free agent and join Saudi Arabian champions, Al-Ittihad. According to transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, a team from Al-Ittihad is in the UK to finalize a deal for the France international.
The move will make Kante the next high-profile player to sign for Al-Ittihad after Real Madrid forward, Karim Benzema, was officially unveiled on Tuesday. This comes as a significant blow to Chelsea fans as Kante has been an integral part of the club’s midfield for the past few seasons.
Romano stated that final details are currently being discussed and that the proposal will be accepted soon. Furthermore, Al-Ittihad directors just arrived in London to link up with the PIF Saudi delegation to prepare documents. The deal is believed to be worth €100m per year until 2025.
It will be interesting to see how Chelsea will cope without Kante in the forthcoming season. Chelsea’s new manager, Thomas Tuchel, will be hoping that the club’s hierarchy can find a player with a similar work rate and tenacity to replace Kante.
Overall, Kante’s signing is likely to bolster Al-Ittihad’s midfield and offer them a genuine chance of competing in the continental tournaments.
