France midfielder N’Golo Kante has joined Turkish giants Fenerbahce from Saudi club Al Ittihad, a move the club says was made possible with the support of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The World Cup winner, who turns 35 next month, was expected to move to Istanbul earlier, but the transfer was delayed after an administrative error. The length of his contract was not disclosed.
Kante, a two time Premier League winner with Leicester City in 2016 and Chelsea in 2017, will now try to strengthen his case for a place in France’s squad for the next World Cup finals.
Fenerbahce president Sadettin Saran said the club had successfully completed the transfer of one of world football’s most respected midfielders. He publicly thanked Erdogan for his role in helping secure the deal, saying it would benefit both Fenerbahce and Turkish football.
Fenerbahce, 19 time Turkish champions, have also added another France midfielder, Matteo Guendouzi, during the winter transfer window. The Istanbul side are three points behind rivals Galatasaray in a tight title race.
They will also face English club Nottingham Forest in the Europa League knockout phase play offs later this month, with Kante expected to add experience and stability in midfield.
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