Al-Ittihad have confirmed the signing of N’Golo Kante, who will join the club on a free transfer when his contract with Chelsea expires.
N’Golo Kante is the latest major name to join the Saudi Pro League, agreeing to a three-year deal with Al-Ittihad after leaving Chelsea.
The 32-year-old was in talks with Chelsea about a new contract, but nothing was ever finalized.
The French World Cup winner will leave Chelsea on free transfer on June 30 and join Al Ittihad, reportedly for €86 million ($109.78 million) per year.
Kante joined Chelsea in July 2016 for £30 million after helping Leicester City win the Premier League the previous season.
After nearly seven years with the club, the defensive midfielder will be remembered as one of the most influential players in the club’s recent history, having won the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup during his tenure.
Following Cristiano Ronaldo‘s January transfer to Al-Nassr, he is scheduled to play alongside compatriot Karim Benzema at Jeddah-based Al-Ittihad.
Benzema has already welcomed Kante, saying in a video uploaded on Al-Ittihad’s official Twitter account: “Hi N’Golo! One day, I told you that you were the best box-to-box player in the world. I’m happy to play with you again, in the best Saudi team. See you in Jeddah!”
Kante will join his new teammates at Al-Ittihad, the freshly crowned Saudi Pro League winners, in July ahead of the start of the new season on August 11.
