ISTANBUL — World Cup champion N’Golo Kanté is on the verge of finalizing his transfer to Fenerbahce following Al Ittihad‘s decision to allow him to leave on Tuesday.
The transfer had appeared to have stalled earlier when Fenerbahce accused Al Ittihad of causing the deal’s collapse, as detailed in an earlier statement from the Turkish club.
Fenerbahce stated that the transfer, which includes Moroccan forward Youssef En-Nesyri moving the other way, was initially hindered due to administrative issues on the part of the Saudi club.
“Due to incorrect entry of the relevant TMS [Transfer Matching System] information by the opposing club, the procedures could not be completed within the transfer registration window, for reasons beyond our control,” Fenerbahce explained, emphasizing that they paid “careful attention to every detail.”
The FIFA TMS is mandatory for all international transfers.
“An extension was requested, and our club engaged in necessary discussions with FIFA, making every effort to resolve the situation,” Fenerbahce continued. “Nonetheless, during this process, the opposing club did not finalize the necessary procedures or provide any justification to us.”
Later, Al Ittihad posted a farewell message on X, indicating they agreed to “sell the remainder of” Kanté’s contract.
The 34-year-old Kanté, who joined Al Ittihad in 2023, recently returned to the France national team, making his 65th appearance for Les Bleus last month in a 4-0 victory against Ukraine.
Fenerbahce is seeking its first Turkish league title in 12 years and has also signed another French international, midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, who aims to secure a spot in the national squad ahead of the upcoming World Cup.