N’Golo Kanté will commit to Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia for two years. At 32, the world champion midfielder will leave Europe and its high-level championships. For Sébastien Tarrago, the former Caennais ends his international career with this choice.
A new step will undoubtedly be taken in the emergence of the Saudi championship on the football planet. After the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, the Kingdom will get their hands on an even younger player: N’Golo Kanté. The out-of-contract Chelsea midfielder will sign for Al Ittihad in the coming hours. A curious choice when at 32 he seems to be able to impose himself in a big European club. Not long ago, we whispered his name at FC Barcelona for that matter. However, the two-year Saudi contract with an annual salary of 100 million euros made the difference in his mind.
The last nail in the coffin for Kanté in blue
If some regret a choice that is not very relevant from a sporting point of view in a club, it is in selection that the consequences will be the strongest. N’Golo Kanté is probably definitely depriving himself of the French team while Didier Deschamps refuses to select players playing in non-European championships. The Saudi Pro League does not seem strong enough to convince the coach of the Blues to make an exception for Kanté. An impression confirmed by Sébastien Tarrago, the journalist of the Team. Unimpressed by the career choice of the middle, he believes that Kanté already had little chance of being taken in view of recent years. Now his chances are nil.
🚨 Kante to Saudi Arabia
🎙️ @starragolequipe : “I have difficulties to understand”#EDG pic.twitter.com/jvlvPfaHY7
— Greg’s TEAM (@lequipedegreg) June 7, 2023
” Yes, I still think so because Saudi Arabia is, at best, the second French division. So yeah I think it’s over. But, we have a bad image of the last performances of N’Golo Kanté. Since Euro 2021, two years ago, he has participated in three matches for the French team. The French team had to play 30-40 in two years. He is no longer French international N’Golo Kanté. Everyone does what they want but I don’t understand. I understand people who make money choices when they don’t have a lot but when they have a lot… When you have 3 Ferraris and you can buy an apartment a day, I’m exaggerating trouble, that’s enough! “, he indicated fatalistic in the Team of Greg. It is therefore a new member of the 2018 world champion French team who will say goodbye to the Blues. Even if he has often been a lucky charm for Deschamps, not sure that the latter cries Kanté after having found good replacements in Qatar: Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga, Adrien Rabiot or Youssouf Fofana.
