Fenerbahce have blamed Al-Ittihad for the collapse of their proposed move for France midfielder N’Golo Kante, claiming the Saudi Pro League club failed to complete the transfer process in time.
In a statement, the Turkish club said they had fulfilled all requirements on their side of the deal, which also involved Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri moving in the opposite direction, and that agreements had already been reached with the players involved.
Fenerbahce said the medical examinations had been completed and that they had met their obligations “completely and on time”.
“However, due to the opposing club’s incorrect entry of the relevant Transfer Matching System information, the transactions could not be completed within the transfer registration period, independently of our club,” the statement read.
N’Golo Kante transfer: Fenerbahce ‘took all steps’
The Istanbul-based side added that they requested an extension to finalise the transfer and held discussions with Fifa, insisting that “all steps were taken to resolve the issue”.
“Despite this, the opposing club has not completed the transactions without providing any justification to us,” Fenerbahce said.
“As a result of these developments, the transfer process unfortunately could not be finalised.”
N’Golo Kante: Chelsea, Leicester
The collapse of the deal comes shortly after France striker Karim Benzema left Al-Ittihad to join Saudi rivals Al-Hilal on Monday, with En-Nesyri expected to be considered as a potential replacement.
Kante, 34, joined Al-Ittihad from Chelsea in 2023 after a highly successful spell in England, where he won the Champions League, Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup with the Blues.
He was also a key figure in Leicester City’s Premier League title-winning side during the 2015-16 season.
