N'Golo Kante's Chelsea exit is now on the cards with the midfielder close to accepting a £172m deal from Saudi club Al-Ittihad.
The Frenchman has been in talks over extending his stay at Stamford Bridge for several months with an offer put to him. Conversations have stalled recently, but has opened the door for potential suitors as the World Cup winner opted to review his options.
Al-Ittihad now look to have turned his head by offering the 32-year-old a two-year deal worth a staggering £86m a year, reports the Daily Mail. It would also allow him to join up with compatriot and former France team-mate Karim Benzema, who chose to end his time at Real Madrid to accept the eye-watering sums on offer in the Middle East.
Chelsea are very much in the midst of a summer reshuffle, but had been keen to keep hold of Kante, who has won the Premier League in west London. He's won a host of other trophies alongside that, including the Champions League in 2021, and is still regarded as one of the top performers in his position.
Mauricio Pochettino is in the midst of assessing his squad, but several members are keen to take control of their own futures. Mason Mount's deal is running out and he's edging towards a Manchester United switch whilst Mateo Kovacic too could leave. Kante had previously hinted at staying to be part of the new regime, but looks to have u-turned.
He told Sky Sports : "For sure. It’s an exciting project for the club. Unfortunately this season hasn’t been to Chelsea’s standards. But everyone wants to go in this way, the way of success and winning titles. I hope this club will again fight in this direction. Let’s see where I will be but I hope that this is a change for the club, that is most important."
Cristiano Ronaldo is the high profile player to be playing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia having accepted a mammoth offer when he left Manchester United. The Middle East is pumping huge money into sport, not just football, as they attempt to make their leagues more attractive.
Ronaldo, who headed to Al Nassr, has called on players to join him as they look to grow the competition. He said: "If they are coming, big players, big names, young players, old players - they are very welcome because if that happens the league will improve. Age is not players, but competitive players, young players."
He also added: "I am happy here, I want to continue here, I will continue here. And in my opinion, if they continue to do the work that they want to do for the next five years I think the Saudi League can be the fifth best in the world."
