Al Ittihad Confirm Arrival Of N’Golo Kante From Chelsea

Saudi Pro League reigning champions Al Ittihad have announced the signing of former Chelsea defensive midfielder N’Golo Kante.

N’Golo Kante, 32, who has had a very successful spell in the Premier League, at Leicester City and then Chelsea, joined the Saudi Pro League as a free agent. He is expected to earn €25 million per season in Saudi Arabia in his three-year deal excluding commercial entitlements.

Kante’s arrival at Al Ittihad means that the Saudi Pro League club now possesses two elite players from France. Recall that the club signed Karim Benzema from Real Madrid earlier this month.

Aside from Cristiano Ronaldo who joined Al Nassr in January and Benzema, N’Golo Kante is arguably the biggest European player to join the Saudi Pro League. Recall that he won a Premier League title each with Chelsea and Leicester City, won UEFA Champions League with Chelsea, and the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France.

On Wednesday, Al Ittihad’s chairman Anmar al-Hailee tweeted: “Kante is an Ittihad player now Welcome to our new tiger Kante.”

While the club’s statement read, “Kante has signed a three-year contract with the club.

“Kante’s addition to Al-Ittihad is considered one of the most high-profile and impactful signings in the club’s history. It is part of the club’s efforts to establish itself as a top choice for world-class players in the Saudi Professional League.”

N’Golo Kante’s countryman and now club mate, Benzema, also shared a welcome message with the 32-year-old prolific midfielder. His welcome message read: “One time I told you, you’re the best player, box to box, in the world. Now I’m happy to play with you again, and of course in the best team in Saudi.”

While Kante simply said: “very excited to play for the Tigers”.