N'Golo Kante leaves Chelsea after seven years at Stamford Bridge; France midfielder key part of Blues squad that won Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League and Club World Cup during his spell at club; Kante joins Karim Benzema at Saudi Arabia champions Al Ittihad
Wednesday 21 June 2023 11:19, UK
Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante has joined Saudi Arabia champions Al Ittihad on a three-year deal.
The 32-year-old, who won the 2018 World Cup with France, joins up with compatriot Karim Benzema, who left Real Madrid and signed a three-year contract with the Saudi side earlier this week.
"Don't believe in fake news. Kante is an Ittihad player now," the club posted in a video on Twitter.
Reports suggest the former Leicester City midfielder has signed a contract worth around £86m-a-year.
Al Ittihad are managed by former Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo and finished five points ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr - who came second - last season.
Kante leaves Chelsea after seven years at Stamford Bridge.
He won winning the Champions League, Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup during his time with the club.
The Frenchman's most recent season was plagued by injuries, however, as he missed 38 matches in all competitions with Chelsea struggling without him and finishing 12th in the league.
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In 2023 alone, Cristiano Ronaldo moved to the Middle Eastern nation on a free transfer, with Ballon D'Or winner Karim Benzema turning down another season at Real Madrid to join him in the country.
That is by no means the end of it with as many as five Chelsea players set to leave the Premier League side for the Saudi Pro League, with the likes of Sergio Ramos, Bernardo Silva and Heung-Min Son reportedly facing similar offers.
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Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
