Chelsea star N’Golo Kante completes medical in London ahead of his move to Al-Ittihad

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante has completed a medical in London ahead of his expected move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad.

Mail Sport previously reported that a delegation from the Middle East club was in London on Tuesday evening to go over the terms of a two-year deal worth £86m-per-season.

Kante had been in talks over a new deal with Chelsea but negotiations stalled after March, meaning he is set to leave the club once his contract expires at the end of the month. 

The Frenchman has completed a medical in London and has agreed personal terms with the Saudi Arabian side.  

He is set to join Karim Benzema, who was unveiled by Al-Ittihad on Tuesday evening after signing a three-year deal worth around £258million with the Saudi champions following his departure from Real Madrid.

Kante is poised to join Karim Benzema who was unveiled as an Al-Ittihad player on Tuesday

His salary is said to include image rights, commercial deals and an investment portfolio. 

The main parts of the contract have been signed, though there is still some final documents that need to be completed before the deal can be announced.

Chelsea meanwhile want a younger squad and are in discussions with Brighton regarding a move for £80m-rated Moises Caicedo.

The Saudi Arabian league is launching a major recruitment drive across Europe.

 They have lured Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema and have made offers for the likes of Lionel Messi, Serge Busquets, Paul Pogba, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. 

Messi though has reportedly made the decision to join MLS side Inter Miami over making a move to Saudi Arabia. 

Kante first joined the Blues in 2016, winning back-to-back Premier League titles with two different clubs in the process, having done so with Leicester in 2015-16.

Kante helped Chelsea win the Premier League and Champions League during his time at the club

He later played a huge role in helping Chelsea win the Champions League during the 2020-21 season. 

Having invested heavily in recent transfer windows – nearly £600million since Todd Boehly took over last summer – the club’s ranks are now bloated to the tune of around 30 players.

As such, a number of current stars are anticipated to be leaving, including the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Edouard Mendy, Mateo Kovacic, Kalidou Koulibaly and Cesar Azpilicueta.