Chelsea icon N'Golo Kante takes 80% pay cut to return to Europe

Tom Weber

• Updated: 13 Jan 2026 20:10 GMT
• 4 min read

News

Chelsea great N'Golo Kante is ready to slash his salary by 80 per cent to join Fenerbahce from Al-Ittihad, according to a report.

The France international has been playing in Saudi Arabia since leaving Chelsea on a free transfer in the summer of 2023. Kante won the domestic double with Al-Ittihad last season and is set to become a free agent this summer.

Despite now being 34, Kante has continued to perform at a high level. He was a surprise inclusion in France's Euro 2024 squad and impressed so much at the tournament in Germany that Premier League clubs explored a move that summer.

Current ETV

N'Golo Kanté

DM, M (C)

Al-Ittihad

N'Golo Kanté

DM, M (C)

Al-Ittihad

€1.8M

ETV Range

€1.5M - €2.2M

View full profile

Last year, promoted Ligue 1 side Paris FC attempted to bring Kante back to Europe, but Al-Ittihad refused to let him go. The Jeddah giants remain reluctant to sanction his exit and want to extend his contract.

However, it increasingly looks as though they are fighting a losing battle. In recent days, Fenerbahce have been heavily linked with a move for Kante, and the player appears to be very keen on the move.

Kante prepared to take massive pay cut to join Fener

Both Fabrizio Romano and Florian Plettenberg have confirmed that Fenerbahce are pushing hard to get a deal for Kante over the line, although it is not entirely clear if it would be for January or the summer.

What is clear, at least according to Plettenberg, is that Kante is keen on the move. In fact, the Frenchman is willing to surrender as much as 70 or 80 per cent of his net salary to join Fenerbahce.

The Turkish giants have informed the veteran that they can't match his current wages and that he would have to significantly reduce his demands, which he has agreed to do.

Plettenberg's reporting suggests that agreeing terms for a free transfer in the summer would not be an issue. A bigger question mark is over whether a mid-season move is already possible.

Romano reports that Fener are in talks with Al-Ittihad, but whether they will be able to convince them to sell remains to be seen.

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