N’GOLO KANTE has left Al-Ittihad after having his contract ripped up by the Saudi Pro League side.
The ex-Chelsea star joined the club in 2023, a shock move despite being one of the best defensive midfielders in the world at the time.
He has gone on to make 107 appearances for the club after arriving alongside superstars like Karim Benzema, Fabinho and Moussa Diaby.
Kante, 34, enjoyed a Saudi league title win last season and has now gone out on a high.
His contract with the club has now been scrapped, paving the way for him to join Turkish side Fenerbahce.
Kante was due to sign for the Super Lig side on deadline day after the two sides negotiated a fee and the Frenchman agreed personal terms.
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But an administrative error from behind Saudi lines forced the deal to collapse at the last minute.
Youssef En-Nesyri was supposed to be heading the other way in a swap deal and his move also went up in smoke.
Kante’s contract with Al-Ittihad was due to end in the summer anyway and the club have now agreed to an early termination.
Fifa are set to approve his move to Fenerbahce, while En Nesyri has completed his move to Al-Ittihad.
The Turkish Super Lig window remains open until the summer, but it is closed for Saudi clubs.
That meant cancelling Kante’s deal was the only way of sanctioning his move.
Fenerbahce did not hold back when explaining why the Kante move collapsed, blaming Al-Ittihad for the hiccup.
The club said: “The transfer process involving N’Golo Kante and Youssef En-Nesyri with Al Ittihad Club has been meticulously conducted by our club in all aspects, as planned.
“The opposing club’s incorrect entry of the relevant TMS information, the transactions could not be completed within the transfer registration period, independently of our club.
“The opposing club has not completed the transactions without providing any justification to us.”
The Turkish giants claimed their side had “fulfilled all its obligations completely and on time”.
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