Fenerbahce have successfully completed the signing of France midfielder N’Golo Kante from Al-Ittihad after a dramatic revival of negotiations that appeared doomed just 24 hours earlier. The transfer involves a complex swap arrangement with Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri moving to the Saudi club. According to Bbc.com.
Kante’s Fenerbahce transfer confirmed after dramatic paperwork resolution
The 34-year-old midfielder’s move to Turkey seemed finished on Tuesday when Fenerbahce publicly blamed Al-Ittihad for failing to file necessary paperwork. The Turkish club released a statement citing the Saudi side’s administrative failures as the reason for the transfer collapse involving the swap deal.
However, Fenerbahce announced on Wednesday that all issues had been resolved, confirming Kante’s arrival after two and a half years in Saudi Arabia. The former Chelsea star originally joined Al-Ittihad in 2023 following a highly successful spell at Stamford Bridge where he collected multiple major trophies.
Kante’s trophy cabinet with Chelsea includes the Champions League, Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup during his seven-year stay in London. He initially moved to Chelsea from Leicester City in 2016, just one season after helping the Foxes secure their historic Premier League title triumph.
The swap arrangement sees 28-year-old En-Nesyri head to Al-Ittihad as a direct replacement for Karim Benzema. The former Real Madrid striker departed the Saudi club earlier this week to join league rivals Al-Hilal, creating the vacancy that En-Nesyri will now fill.
