Kante terminates Al-Ittihad contract to force through Fenerbahce transfer as ex-Chelsea star returns to Europe

The transfer saga involving Kante and Fenerbahce has reached a successful conclusion, less than 24 hours after it appeared to have collapsed in acrimony. Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has stated that the midfielder has signed a contract that will keep him in Istanbul until the summer of 2028.

This development comes as a massive relief to the Turkish giants, who had been left reeling after the initial deadline passed without ratification. The breakthrough occurred after both clubs received official approval from FIFA to proceed with the registration. It appears that the governing body accepted the appeal lodged by Fenerbahce regarding the technical issues faced during the Transfer Matching System (TMS) window.

Al-Ittihad also released a brief official statement confirming the departure, posting on social media: "The club agrees to sell the remaining period of N’Golo Kanté’s contract." This formal release allowed the player to finalise his exit from the Saudi Pro League and immediately commit to his new challenge in the Super Lig, bringing an end to the uncertainty that had clouded the player's future over the last 48 hours.

The confirmation of the deal marks a stunning turnaround from the events of Tuesday, where the transfer, which would also have seen Youssef En-Nesyri head from Turkey to Saudi Arabia, seemed dead in the water. Fenerbahce had released a furious statement explicitly blaming Al-Ittihad for a data entry error within the TMS that caused the deadline to be missed. The Turkish club claimed they had fulfilled all obligations, including health checks and paperwork, only to be let down by their Saudi counterparts failing to upload the necessary documents in time.

That statement had suggested relations between the clubs were fractured, with Fenerbahce accusing Al-Ittihad of ghosting them without justification. However, it appears that intense behind-the-scenes work and "necessary negotiations" with FIFA have borne fruit. The "green light" from FIFA suggests that the governing body acknowledged the technical nature of the failure and exercised discretion to allow the transfer to be completed outside the strict parameters of the window, or validated the timestamp of the original attempt.

The resolution ensures that Fenerbahce have not missed out on their primary midfield target, turning what looked like a PR disaster and an administrative embarrassment into a significant market coup.

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While Kante arrives in Istanbul, Moroccan striker En-Nesyri has successfully completed his move in the opposite direction. Al-Ittihad officially announced the capture of the forward via their social media channels in the wake of Kante's move being confirmed.

The completion of En-Nesyri's transfer was integral to unlocking the Kante deal. Initially, it was feared that the same administrative errors blocking the Frenchman's exit would also strand the striker in Turkey.

En-Nesyri leaves Fenerbahce after a mixed spell, but his stock remains high in the region. His arrival in Jeddah provides the Saudi Pro League side with a potent attacking threat, effectively resolving their search for a number nine while facilitating the departure of a high-earning foreign star in Kante to balance their squad quota.

Securing Kante is a statement of intent for Fenerbahce as they look to assert their dominance domestically and compete in Europe. The initial collapse of the deal had left the technical staff and fans deflated, particularly given the specific tactical role Kante was earmarked for. His ability to break up play and drive the team forward is seen as the missing piece of the puzzle for the squad's structure.

The transfer will see Kante return to England later this month with Fenerbahce taking on Nottingham Forest in the Europa League play-off tie. The Istanbul club are currently second in their domestic league, trailing reigning champions and eternal rivals Galatasaray by three points.