Al-Ittihad announces N'Golo Kante's signing, Karim Benzema responds; 'I called you..'

Why you're reading this: After months of speculation, N’Golo Kante confirmed he is leaving Chelsea after a seven-year spell. The France midfielder was announced as an Al Ittihad player by the Saudi Pro League club in the early hours of Wednesday. During his time with Chelsea, the Frenchman won the Premier League, Champions League, and the FA Cup among other lucrative titles.

3 Things You Need To Know

• N’Golo Kante won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France
• The midfielder made 269 appearances for Chelsea FC
• Kante now joins Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League

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Karim Benzema welcomes N’Golo Kante to Al-Ittihad

In a video shared by Ittihad on Twitter, Karim Benzema was seen welcoming the fellow Frenchman into the club. “Hi N’Golo. One time I called you, you are the best player of box to box in the world. Now, I am happy to play with you again, and offcourse in the best team in Saudi. See you in Jeddah,” said the 2022 Ballon d’Or award winner.

“Thank You Karim. Nice to see you again. Thank you for your words. I am very pleased to play with you, the best player in the world,” Kante replied. The club earlier announced Kante’s arrival with a unique video, which ended with the player wearing the Ittihad jersey. “Don't listen to the fake news. Kanté is an Ittihad player now,” the caption for the video read.

N’Golo Kante's trophy haul with Chelsea

Meanwhile, Kante ended his seven-year spell with Chelsea during which he made 269 appearances, scoring 13 goals and assisting on 16 occasions. He joined the Stamford Bridge-based side in 2016 after a transfer from Leicester. The star mid-fielder has also represented French clubs like SM Caen and US Boulogne during the initial phases of his professional career.

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However, he enjoyed the most illustrious time in his career with Chelsea, winning several domestic and European titles. His list of achievements with the club includes winning the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League, the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup, the 2016-2017 Premier League, the 2021-22 UEFA Super Cup. the 2018-19 Europa League and the FA Cup in 2018. He also received the Player of the Season in England in 2017.