N'Golo Kante Saudi Arabia salary: How much will Chelsea star be paid if he completes Al Ittihad transfer?

Ben Miller

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N'Golo Kante Saudi Arabia salary: How much will Chelsea star be paid if he completes Al Ittihad transfer? image

Former Chelsea Player of the Year N'Golo Kante is poised to leave the Premier League to join the likes of five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League.

The France international spent eight years in the England's top flight, starting with a single season at Leicester City before the Blues paid around £32 million ($40.1m) for him.

Kante is certain to significantly increase his salary if he completes his expected move to Al Ittihad, which is one of four clubs to have been taken over by the country's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Here's how much Kante is expected to earn in the Middle East, as well as more details on his contract, transfer and Chelsea record.

MORE: What is the Public Investment Fund? What to know about LIV Golf owner, Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Saudi PIF investments

N'Golo Kante to Saudi Arabia: Why is he joining Al Ittihad?

The five-year contract Kante signed at Chelsea in 2018 expires this summer, leaving him free to join another club.

Reports earlier this season had suggested Kante would be open to extending his deal at Stamford Bridge, but the lure of Saudi Arabia appears to have tempted him to play regular club football outside France or England for the first time.

Their new ownership allows the PIF's clubs to offer more financially rewarding contracts than clubs in Europe, while they are not subject to the rules around spending imposed upon those rival suitors.

Former Manchester United forward Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in December 2022, and current Ballon d'Or holder Karim Benzema signed for Al Ittihad in June, having completed his final season with Real Madrid.

N'Golo Kante contract, salary: How much will he be paid?

Benzema's salary in Saudi Arabia is an astonishing £85.5m ($107m) for each of the three years of his contract, according to MailOnline, which has reported that the stratospheric sum is also tax-free.

Lionel Messi would have earned vastly more had he turned down Inter Miami in favour of the £350m ($437.7m) a year Al Hilal offered him, transfer oracle Fabrizio Romano claimed in The Guardian. Messi has confirmed he will join the MLS franchise in Florida.

Kante and Milner
Getty Images

Kante will receive a salary of up to £86.2m ($107.9m), the same outlet said, adding that the deal would include image rights, commercial deals and an investment portfolio.

Emissaries from Saudi Arabia are said to have presented their proposals to Kante in London during the first week of June.

Kante was said to have subsequently completed a medical for Al Ittihad in the capital, but the "binding agreement" was held up because officials were "cautious" over Kante's injury history, according to Football London.

France had to make do without Kante during their run to the 2022 FIFA World Cup final as part of his injury-hindered season, when a major hamstring problem — not the first time he had suffered the issue — ruled him out for much of the domestic campaign before he suffered from a lack of fitness and a groin injury.

He played only nine times in all competitions for Chelsea in 2022/23, completing 90 minutes four times.

MORE: Rory McIlroy rips Phil Mickelson for 'naive, selfish, egotistical, ignorant' comments about Saudi Golf League

N'Golo Kante Chelsea stats, record, trophies

All-action defensive midfielder Kante was instrumental in Chelsea's UEFA Champions League triumph in 2020/21, finishing in fifth place in the subsequent Ballon d'Or vote, immediately behind Benzema and a position ahead of Ronaldo.

As he had done at Leicester in 2015/16, Kante won the Premier League in his first season at Stamford Bridge, playing all but 281 minutes of their top-flight matches.

Kante also played all 90 minutes of the 2018 FA Cup final, when Chelsea beat Manchester United, and the 2019 UEFA Europa League final, when his side thrashed Arsenal 4-1.

Now 32, Kante has won eight major trophies in his club career, plus the 2018 World Cup with France.

Here are some of his Premier League stats, including his initial season with the Foxes.

Season Matches Goals Assists Tackles Tackle success Recoveries
2015/16 37 1 4 175 71% 326
2016/17 35 1 1 127 65% 275
2017/18 34 1 1 113 68% 312
2018/19 36 4 4 74 55% 238
2019/20 22 3 0 44 45% 158
2020/21 30 0 2 79 53% 194
2021/22 26 2 4 59 53% 153
2022/23 7 0 1 16 63% 55

Ben Miller

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Ben Miller has been writing about sport for 25 years, following all levels of football as well as boxing, MMA, athletics and tennis. He’s seen five promotions, three relegations, one World Cup winner and home games in at least three different stadiums as a result of his lifelong devotion to Brighton & Hove Albion. His main aim each week is to cover at least one game or event that does not require a last-minute rewrite.