Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad have confirmed the signing of N’Golo Kante from Chelsea.
The midfielder, 32, departs Stamford Bridge at the expiry of his contract following seven years in west London.
During that time, Kante won the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup before an injury-hit 2022-23 campaign in which the team suffered a mediocre mid-table finish.
That has prompted a mass clear-out of the squad ahead of Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival with several stars tipped to be moved on.
✋#WelcomeBox2Box pic.twitter.com/6udgX3Qrfb
— نادي الاتحاد السعودي (@ittihad) June 21, 2023
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Flop signing Tiemoue Bakayoko was among a number of fringe players recently released but Kante is the first senior player to depart. Kalidou Koulibaly and Hakim Ziyech are also tipped to complete moves to Saudi clubs amid their heavy investment in the transfer window.
An Ittihad statement read: “Ittihad Club wishes Kante success in achieving the club's goals and fulfilling the expectations of all the club's fans and supporters during his time with the team.”
The Jeddah club, managed by Nuno Espirito Santos, announced the news late on Tuesday night with a social media campaign called ‘#WelcomeBox2Box’.
Chelsea confirmed the deal shortly afterwards, with a statement that read: “Chelsea today says goodbye to club legend N’Golo Kante, with the midfielder to join Saudi Professional League side Al-Ittihad at the expiration of his contract.”
Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said: “N’Golo’s impact and influence during his time at Chelsea cannot be overstated. His tireless performances in midfield contributed to several trophy wins and has guaranteed him a place in the club’s history. We wish him well as he embarks on the next chapter in his career.”
Ittihad are the Saudi Pro League champions and signed Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema earlier in the summer before this week failing with a reported bid to sign Tottenham winger Heung-min Son.
