Kante ends Al-Ittihad deal, seals Fenerbahce move as ex-Chelsea midfielder returns to Europe | OneFootball

N’Golo Kante has completed a move to Fenerbahce after terminating his Al-Ittihad contract. The World Cup winner has signed until June 2028, returning to European football once FIFA cleared the move after an administrative error.

Al-Ittihad said in a brief statement that it had sold the remainder of his contract, enabling registration in the Super Lig. The approval came after an appeal over technical issues in the Transfer Matching System.

The saga swung within 24 hours, having seemed dead when the deadline passed without ratification on Tuesday. The green light appears to acknowledge the technical nature of the failure and either allow completion outside the window or validate the original timestamp.

The resolution prevents Fenerbahce missing out on their primary midfield target and swiftly ends uncertainty around Kante's future.

Youssef En-Nesyri has completed a move in the opposite direction to Al-Ittihad, a switch viewed as integral to unlocking Kante's transfer. It had been feared similar administrative problems could block the striker.

Fenerbahce view Kante as pivotal to their structure as they push domestically and in Europe. He will return to England later this month when Fenerbahce face Nottingham Forest in the Europa League play-off. The Istanbul side sit second in the league, 3 points behind Galatasaray.

Source: Goal.com