N’golo Kante leaves Chelsea, joining Benzema at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad

Chelsea announced that star midfielder N’golo Kante will leave Chelsea upon finalizing contract at the end of this season.

Kante will join Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad. Previously, fellow Frenchman Karim Benzema also announced that he would leave Real Madrid to join Al-Ittihad.

While he had recurring injuries last year, this is a blow for Chelsea. N’golo Kante is widely recognized as one of the best midfielders in the world, known for excelling in ball recovery and being able to play from box to box.

Of the Chelsea legend, co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said:

“N’Golo’s impact and influence during his time at Chelsea cannot be overstated. His tireless performances in midfield contributed to several trophy wins and has guaranteed him a place in the club’s history. We wish him well as he embarks on the next chapter in his career.”

Kante had 190 appearances and scored 11 goals during seven years at Chelsea. He won Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Kante was named the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year and the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year for 2016-17.

Kante is also a World Champion, contributing to France as they won the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Unfortunately, he missed the 2022 Qatar World Cup due to injury.

While this is definitely a loss for Chelsea, this loss is partly mitigated by the signing of Cristopher Nkunku from Leipzig.

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