N’Golo Kante has agreed to join Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad on a three-year contract when his contract with Chelsea expires this summer, the club announced on Tuesday.
N’Golo Kante, whose Chelsea contract officially ends on June 30, will join Karim Benzema at the Jeddah-based club and become the latest big-name move to Saudi Arabia following Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to Al Nassr in January.
“The contract [with Kante] was finalized on Tuesday, June 20, after he completed his medical tests at a specialized medical center in Dubai”, Al-Ittihad said in a statement as quoted by ESPN.
“This move was made because Ittihad, who recently won the Saudi Professional League, aims to strengthen their squad.”
“Kante’s addition to Al-Ittihad is considered one of the most high-profile and influential signings in the club’s history. It is part of the club’s efforts to establish itself as the top choice for world-class players in the Saudi Professional League.”
The 32-year-old’s deal will see him paid around €86 million ($109.78 million) per year, according to reports.
ESPN reported in February that Kante was close to signing a new contract with Chelsea, but no deal has been finalized and the midfielder has now decided to end his seven-year stay at Stamford Bridge.
After playing a key role in Leicester City’s surprise Premier League title win in 2016, Kante moved to west London, where he became the first player since Eric Cantona in 1993 to win back-to-back English top-flight titles with two different teams.
Another success followed as Kante lifted the FA Cup in 2018 and won the Europa League the following year before landing the Champions League crown in 2021.
However, the injury he suffered last season meant he only made nine appearances in all competitions.
Despite spending more than £600m on new signings since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took charge of the club last May, Chelsea have only managed to finish 12th in the Premier League.
Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter were both sacked as coaches before the end of the season with Frank Lampard in caretaker charge.
Following Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment as manager last month, it will be another upheaval of the summer at Chelsea with several players including Christian Pulisic, Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount looking set to leave.
