First Chelsea exit of the summer confirmed as €200m deal on the verge of completion

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante will leave Stamford Bridge as a free agent and join Saudi Arabian Pro League side Al Ittihad. The Frenchman was in the final month of his CFC contract and an agreement couldn’t be reached to extend his stay in London.

Chelsea signed Kante back in 2016 from Leicester City for £32 million. Coming back of a stellar and miraculous campaign with the Foxes, Kante became a mainstay in the Chelsea midfield, playing as a defensive midfielder and propelling Antonio Conte’s side to a Premier League title. Kante was spectacular at breaking up play, winning the ball back and closing the gaps. Many regarded him as one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe and he rightfully earned that award.

Kante’s deal was expiring in the summer and CFC did open talks over a contract extension. The Frenchman wanted to stay in London and preferred to sign a contract extension instead of leaving as a free agent. At one stage, the deal was very close to happening with CFC offering him a deal till 2025.

N’Golo Kante to join Al Ittihad from Chelsea

Over the last few weeks, doubts arose as Kante was yet to sign the new deal and his latest groin injury also raised concerns over his fitness. On the other hand, Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) took controlling stakes in four Saudi Arabian Pro League clubs – Al Hilal, Al Ittihad, Al Nassr and Al Ahli. Their ambition is to overhaul the Saudi league and make it an enticing destination for world’s best footballers.

Delegates from Saudi PIF flew to London to present an official offer to Kante. Al Ittihad and Al Nassr were expected to be potential destinations for the Frenchman. Al Ittihad directors flew to London to link up with the PIF delegation and prepare documents for the €100 million per season move.

Kante will sign for Al Ittihad where he will earn €100 million per season which includes image rights, commercial deals and a creative investment portfolio. He will sign a contract with Al Ittihad valid till the summer of 2025, which means he will earn €200 million in salary. As per CBS Sports, Kante is the latest footballer to make his way to Saudi. The Frenchman will join Al Ittihad on a free transfer, joining Karim Benzema who was unveiled as the new signing yesterday.

The contracts have not been signed yet but there are no hindrances and as per Fabrizio Romano, a meeting was held between Kante’s agents and the Al Ittihad board to get the deal signed.

Did N’Golo Kante leave Europe too soon?