The En-Nesyri Saga: Will He Don Al-Ittihad’s Tigers Jersey Amid Kanté’s Swap Drama?

Transfer swap between Al-Ittihad and Fenerbahçe faces final decision

A planned swap between Al-Ittihad and Fenerbahçe has stirred controversy in recent hours, centering on Youssef En-Nesyri’s possible move to the Turkish league and the Moroccan forward wearing the Tigers’ colors. At the same time, N’Golo Kanté’s future remains a key subplot in the ongoing negotiations.

Fenerbahçe issued an official statement saying the swap failed due to information entered incorrectly by Al-Ittihad representatives in FIFA’s transfer system, complicating the exchange as the window nears its close.

En-Nesyri paperwork reportedly submitted; Kanté situation still unresolved

Nevertheless, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Al-Ittihad completed the contract with Youssef En-Nesyri and submitted the necessary documents to the Saudi Football Federation before the winter window closed, making the 28-year-old Moroccan a formal member of the Tigers.

The newspaper added that the crisis traces back to a hiccup after Gustavo Sá, a midfielder from Famalicão who could have replaced Kanté at Al-Ittihad, failed to arrive as expected, widening the door for a pause in the deal.

It further noted that coach Sérgio Conceição would prefer to keep Kanté, given that Al-Ittihad had also secured a deal for young striker Georges Ilinnikna from Monaco, and discussions with all parties continued to move toward a final decision.

As the saga unfolds, a fresh round of talks between Al-Ittihad and Fenerbahçe is anticipated to determine the fate of the swap and En-Nesyri’s future with the Saudi club.

Punchline 1: If this transfer were a football match, it’d go to extra time—because the plotlines keep running longer than stoppage time.

Punchline 2: Maybe they should schedule the final decision at coffee break—apparently, negotiations taste better with a latte and a few loopholes to sip through.