Chelsea star midfielder close to agreeing terms with Al Ittihad for deal worth £86m
Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante is on the verge of finalizing a move to Al Ittihad, a Saudi Arabian club. A delegation from Al Ittihad was present in London to discuss the terms of the deal, which is expected to be worth approximately £86 million per year. Kante, who will become a free agent at the end of the month, has been offered a contract until 2025 by Al Ittihad. While negotiations between Kante and Chelsea over a new deal had been ongoing, talks stalled after March. Chelsea, on the other hand, is looking to rejuvenate their squad and is currently in discussions with Brighton regarding a potential £80 million move for Moises Caicedo.
The Saudi Arabian league is embarking on a major recruitment campaign across Europe and has already secured the services of Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. They have also made offers for high-profile players such as Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Paul Pogba, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. It is expected that many more players will be enticed by the significant financial incentives on offer this summer.
Previous reports from Mail Sport indicated that talks between Al Ittihad and Kante's representatives began several days ago, with the aim of reaching an agreement as soon as possible. Kante initially joined Chelsea in 2016 and played a crucial role in winning consecutive Premier League titles with two different clubs, Leicester City and Chelsea.
While Kante is highly regarded in the footballing world, it remains uncertain whether he is part of Mauricio Pochettino's plans for the upcoming season. Al Ittihad's significant investments in recent transfer windows, totaling nearly £600 million since last summer, have led to an inflated squad size of around 30 players. Consequently, several current stars, including Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Edouard Mendy, Mateo Kovacic, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Cesar Azpilicueta, are expected to depart.
If Kante does leave Chelsea, the club will have a limited number of players capable of fulfilling a defensive midfield role, with Kovacic potentially being linked with a move to treble-chasing Manchester City.
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