N’Golo Kanté will join the Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad when his Chelsea contract expires at the end of June. The midfielder joined Chelsea from Leicester in 2016 and went on to win the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
“N’Golo’s impact and influence during his time at Chelsea cannot be overstated,” said the club’s co-sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley. “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.”
Kanté’s final season at the club was blighted by injury. The 32-year-old required hamstring surgery in October and was unavailable until March, making only seven Premier League appearances in the campaign.
Farewell, N'Golo. Thanks for everything. 💙
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 21, 2023
He becomes the first major departure since Mauricio Pochettino was confirmed as Chelsea’s new manager, with a reduction in size of a bloated first-team squad among the Argentinian’s priorities.
Kanté, who won the World Cup with France in Russia in 2018, becomes the latest in a succession of high-profile names to move to the Saudi Professional League. His international teammate Karim Benzema has agreed to join Al-Ittihad after 14 seasons at Real Madrid, following Cristiano Ronaldo who moved to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in December.
The Wolves captain, Rúben Neves, has reportedly agreed a £47m move to Al-Hilal, with an announcement expected from the club this week. At 26, he will be the youngest big name to leave a European club for Saudi Arabia.
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Chelsea’s Kalidou Koulibaly, Édouard Mendy, Romelu Lukaku and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have also been linked with moves to the Gulf state.