Kanté Sparks a Transfer Tug-of-War: Rebellion Ripples Through Al-Ittihad

Kanté's transfer saga takes a rebellious turn

The teaser: The French midfielder reveals the other side of the Saudi club today.

The French midfielder N'Golo Kanté, of Al-Ittihad, began a revolt against the club after the failed transfer to Fenerbahçe during the winter transfer window.

The deal to move Kanté to Fenerbahçe collapsed, which would have been matched by Al-Ittihad's signing of Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri, due to some procedural errors in the final hours of the Saudi winter transfer window.

Reliable journalist Ben Jacobs, via his X account, said Kanté refused to train with Al-Ittihad today, Tuesday, as he sought to leave the squad during the winter transfer window.

And the French midfielder hopes the winter transfer window in the Turkish league will stay open until February 10, which could help Fenerbahçe sign him.

But that would be hard for the Saudi club, especially after failing to sign Portuguese Gustavo Sá from Famalicão, just before the closing of the winter transfer window in the Saudi Pro League.

And Al-Ittihad had already lost the services of its French striker Karim Benzema, after his move to arch-rival Al-Hilal, and they will not be able to replace him after the late failure to sign En-Nesyri.

Punchline (sniper mode): If deadlines keep shifting, even Kanté might need a calendar with a built-in compass.

Punchline 2: This transfer saga has more twists than my nightlife calendar—great material, questionable timing.