N'Golo Kante set to sign short-term deal to play at Club World Cup

Metro

3 days ago

N'Golo Kante is set to sign a short-term loan deal with Al-Hilal in order to feature at the Club World Cup this summer, according to reports.
The Premier League icon, who won top-flight titles with Leicester City and Chelsea, has been playing for Al-Ittihad since leaving Stamford Bridge.
Kante swapped the west London side for Al-Ittihad in August 2023, joining as a free agent, and helped them win the 2024-25 Saudi Pro League title.
But Al-Hilal are the only Saudi team in action at the revamped 2025 Club World Cup and Kante looks set to join them on loan for the tournament.
Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad, both controlled by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), are in talks over a deal with optimism that a loan can be done.
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That's according to The Athletic, meaning Kante could be set to feature against Real Madrid and RB Salzburg in the United States this month.
Al-Hilal are in Group H with both European teams as well as Mexican side Pachuca at the expanded 32-team competition.
Al-Hilal's qualification for the new-look Club World Cup was secured by their triumph in the 2021 AFC Champions League.
They finished second in the Saudi Pro League in 2024-25, eight points behind champions Al-Ittihad.
Kante remains incredibly popular with fans of English teams Leicester and Chelsea, with the latter side also at the Club World Cup this summer.
Chelsea are in Group D at the Club World Cup with Flamengo of Brazil, Los Angeles FC of the USA and ES Tunis of Tunisia.
Kante helped Chelsea win the Club World Cup under the old format of the tournament back in 2021 – which only featured a total of seven teams.
He also won the Champions League, FA Cup, Europa League and Super Cup during his seven-year spell with Chelsea.
The defensive midfielder was named Chelsea Players' Player of the Year in 2017 and Chelsea Player of the Year in 2018.
Kante played a total of 269 games for Chelsea, joining them after he helped Leicester secure the Premier League trophy at odds of 5000-1.
The 34-year-old also enjoyed success on the international stage with France, who landed the World Cup trophy in 2018.
Kante was linked with a shock return to the Premier League 12 months ago with West Ham in talks with Al-Ittihad – but a move never materialised.
'I will always come short of good things to say about N'Golo,' Cesc Fabregas said about Kante last year.
'When he first came to Chelsea after winning the league with Leicester, tactically he was good but we saw him more as a corrector.
'But the most important thing and most special thing about him is the will to learn and the capacity to do it very fast and apply it on the pitch.'
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