Stalemate in Kanté Transfer Talks: Will Al-Ittihad Hold On or Will Fenerbahçe Break Through?

Kante's Transfer Talks Stall in the Istanbul-Bridge Saga

There is a cloud of uncertainty over the future of French star N'Golo Kanté, the midfield engine of Al-Ittihad, after reports linked him with a move to Fenerbahçe in Turkey.

Fenerbahçe has been chasing Kanté to bolster the squad, hoping to meet both its financial needs and sporting ambitions, but the deal faces significant financial hurdles.

Turkish journalist Mustafa Sancar, writing for AS, discussed on the program "Al-Marma" that Fenerbahçe has surpassed its financial ceiling and Kanté could earn up to €30 million.

He added that the club cannot offer that amount, not even half of it, and questioned whether the Turkish team can close the transfer.

Nevertheless, a source close to the Turkish club told me Kanté could arrive in Istanbul next Sunday to discuss the contract details.

There is no formal agreement yet between Al-Ittihad and Fenerbahçe or between Kanté and the Turkish club.

Meanwhile, Saudi outlet Al-Riyadiah reported that Al-Ittihad will pursue keeping Kanté by meeting his demands, in line with coach Sérgio Conceição's wishes.

As the saga unfolds, fans wait to see if Kanté will stay in Jeddah or move to Turkey. And if he signs, let’s hope the contract includes a sense of humor—because football negotiations could use one more punchline.

Punchline 1: If Kanté signs with Fenerbahçe, the Turkish league might hire him as a professional negotiator—he’s already excellent at dodging questions. Punchline 2: If the transfer collapses, at least Kanté can practice dodging press questions with the same grace he dodges defenders.