Erdogan seals Kante transfer to Fenerbahce in talks with Saudi crown prince
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan personally intervened during his state visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to help complete N’Golo Kante’s transfer from Al-Ittihad to Fenerbahce FC.
In an official press release, Fenerbahce extended its “sincere gratitude” to Erdogan for his “valuable support” in ensuring the successful conclusion of the process.
Kante has been in impressive form at the Saudi club, helping Al-Ittihad win both the Saudi Pro League and the King’s Cup. During the 2024-25 season, he recorded four goals and four assists in 35 matches across all competitions.
Turkish media reports suggest that Erdogan intervened in the transfer process while meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday in Riyadh.
“A member of Fenerbahce’s Board of Directors contacted President Erdogan’s delegation ahead of his visit to Saudi Arabia,” journalist Burak Dogan said, citing sources. “The matter was conveyed directly to President Erdogan, and the details of the process were explained to him firsthand.”
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Dogan added that prior to the official inter-delegation meetings, Erdogan raised the issue with the Saudi crown prince and requested his assistance. Erdogan is a known supporter of Fenerbahce, one of Istanbul’s “Big Four” football clubs.
“Not wishing to turn down President Erdogan’s request, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman instructed Al-Ittihad and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to reopen discussions and finalise the transfer process,” he said.
Al-Ittihad later confirmed the transfer in a press statement.
According to Turkish reports, the French international will earn a net annual salary of 8 million euros at Fenerbahce, in addition to various performance-based bonuses. This figure is significantly lower than the 24–25 million euros Kante was earning at Al-Ittihad.
A late-night report from Sky Sport said that Fenerbahce and Al-Ittihad have agreed on a four million euro transfer fee to settle the remainder of the player’s contract with the Saudi club.
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