- Kante held meeting with Saudi representatives
- Has now completed medical for Al-Ittihad
- Joins Benzema and Ronaldo in ambitious league
WHAT HAPPENED? It was initially revealed on Monday that Saudi officials had travelled to London for talks with Kante, and Fabrizio Romano is now reporting that a deal has been official completed. It is understood that Kante will earn a whopping €200m (£172.1m/$213.8m) over two years at Al-Ittihad. According to Romano, Kante completed his medical in London on Wednesday, and an official announcement is now on the way from the Saudi club.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The World Cup winner will link up with former Real Madrid talisman Karim Benzema at his new club, who won the league last season. The pair will be competing against Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr for trophies during the 2023-24 campaign.
AND WHAT'S MORE: Kante will depart Stamford Bridge with his status as a Chelsea icon secured. He helped the Blues win the Premier League title in 2017, in what was his maiden season at the club, while also putting in a player-of-the-match performance in the 2021 Champions League final against Manchester City.
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Al-IttihadWHAT NEXT? Al-Ittihad directors arrived in London on Tuesday night to prepare Kante's new contract in conjunction with representatives from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund - who recently took control of four leading clubs in the country, including the champions. The Frenchman will now head to Saudi Arabia for a grand unveiling as he brings the curtain down on a trophy-laden seven-year spell at Chelsea.