N’GOLO KANTE SKIPS TRAINING AS AL-ITTIHAD BLOCK HIS MOVE TO FENERBAHCE OFFICIALLY
N’Golo Kante has gone on strike at Al-Ittihad after a paperwork error blocked his move to Fenerbahce. Can he still sign by Friday?
N’Golo Kanté didn’t show up for Al-Ittihad training on Tuesday, and it’s not hard to see why. He was all set to head to Fenerbahçe, but the deal fell apart at the last minute—apparently because Al-Ittihad messed up some paperwork. Kante was supposed to fly to Istanbul and sign, but thanks to this administrative slip, he’s stuck in limbo. There’s still a shot at reviving the transfer sinceKanté Turkey’s transfer window stays open until Friday, February 6.
Kante was one of the first big European names to jump to the Saudi Pro League, joining Al-Ittihad in 2023 after seven years with Chelsea. He’s been a key player in Jeddah, helping Al-Ittihad win the 2024-25 league title and the King’s Cup.
Then, in the middle of the January window, word got out that Fenerbahce wanted him. The Turkish club were eager to add a World Cup winner to their squad. The plan was to swap Kante for Youssef En-Nesyri, who’d head to Saudi Arabia. Everything seemed set until deadline day, when news broke that an error by Al-Ittihad in the Transfer Matching System stopped the transfer cold.
Fenerbahce didn’t hold back. They blamed Al-Ittihad directly, saying they’d done everything right: agreements with the players, medicals, paperwork, all wrapped up on time. But Al-Ittihad entered something wrong in the system, and that was that. Fenerbahçe even asked for an extension and reached out to FIFA, but nothing moved. In the end, the deal died, and Fenerbahçe put out a statement saying they understood the frustration and would keep working to strengthen the squad.
Meanwhile, Kante’s making his feelings clear. According to Ben Jacobs, he skipped training on Tuesday, still hoping the move to Fenerbahce can happen. Santi Aouna says talks between the clubs aren’t dead yet. L’Equipe is reporting that Kanté doesn’t want to play for Al-Ittihad while he waits for FIFA’s decision. With the Turkish window open until Friday, there’s still a glimmer of hope for Kante, though En-Nesyri’s move is off the table for now.
CRISTIANO RONALDO PROTESTS AL-HILAL'S BENZEMA DEAL BY SKIPPING AL-NASSR LEAGUE MATCH
Cristiano Ronaldo is fuming. Discover why the Al-Nassr star skipped his last match and is now threatening to leave Saudi Arabia.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been the main attraction in the Saudi Pro League ever since he landed in the Middle East three years ago. Now, for the first time, it looks like he’s actually thinking about leaving. He’s frustrated. He feels the playing field isn’t level, and it’s starting to get to him.
Here’s the deal: Four clubs in the league—Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, and Al-Ahli—get their backing straight from the state. But Ronaldo sat out Al-Nassr’s match against Al-Riyadh on Monday night. Why? He was protesting. He found out Al-Hilal was about to sign Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad, and that was the last straw. From Ronaldo’s perspective, Al-Hilal keeps getting more freedom to splash cash than everyone else. They’re the current champions, and Ronaldo still hasn’t managed to win his first Saudi title.
Saudi officials tried to calm him down. According to Diario AS, they reached out and argued that most of Al-Hilal’s extra spending comes from Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, not the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Al-Hilal just brought in Kader Meite for €30 million, Saimon Bouabre for €23 million, and now Benzema. Al-Nassr, on the other hand, only managed two free transfers this winter. Sure, they spent a lot more in the summer, but that didn’t seem to matter to Ronaldo.
Reports from Portugal, cited by AS, say Ronaldo’s not ruling anything out—not even leaving Saudi Arabia this summer. That’s despite just signing an extension with Al-Nassr until 2027.
And honestly, he has a point. Since he arrived, Al-Hilal have spent €647 million, while Al-Nassr have shelled out €410 million and Al-Ittihad €365 million. These numbers probably don’t include salaries—and let’s face it, nobody’s making more than Ronaldo. He’s supposed to return on Friday when Al-Nassr face Al-Ittihad, but right now, no one really knows if he’ll play or if he’s planning his next move.
JéRéMY JACQUET SEALS €69M LIVERPOOL MOVE AS STADE RENNAIS SALES SOAR
Stade Rennais has produced €344m in talent. Discover how Jérémy Jacquet’s €69m move to Liverpool continues their incredible streak.
Stade Rennais have built a reputation for being sharp when it comes to transfer business. Over the past few years, they’ve raked in €275 million from selling players—and Jérémy Jacquet’s potential €69 million move could push that even higher.
But it’s not just the money; Rennes keeps producing top talents that Europe’s biggest clubs want. Just look at Ousmane Dembélé, Jérémy Doku, and Eduardo Camavinga. The fees they brought in speak for themselves.
Here’s a closer look at some of Rennes’ biggest departures:
Raphinha — sold to Leeds United for €20 million
Raphinha spent a single full season at Rennes before heading to Leeds in 2020. He didn’t stick around England long, though, making a big move to Barcelona just two years later.
Ousmane Dembélé — sold to Borussia Dortmund for €15 million
Dembélé came up through Rennes’ academy and was already turning heads when he left for Dortmund in 2016. Since then, he’s picked up a World Cup, Champions League, and Ballon d’Or, with the last two coming after his move to PSG.
Désiré Doué — sold to Paris Saint-Germain for €50 million
Doué is another Rennes academy product. He joined PSG in 2024, linking up with Dembélé. At just 19, he scored twice in the Champions League final against Inter Milan and was named Man of the Match.
Eduardo Camavinga — sold to Real Madrid for €30 million, plus €15 million in add-ons
Real Madrid snapped up Camavinga when he was only 18. He’s already made 129 league appearances and played in two Champions League finals—winning both.
Nayef Aguerd — sold to West Ham United for €35 million
Aguerd arrived from Dijon in 2020. After two seasons at Rennes, he moved to West Ham and started in their Europa Conference League final win over Fiorentina in 2023.
Jérémy Doku — sold to Manchester City for €65 million
Doku joined from Anderlecht and quickly made a name for himself. Manchester City picked him up in 2023, and in his first season, he played 29 league games as City edged out Arsenal to win the title.
Jérémy Jacquet — moving to Liverpool for €64 million, with €5 million in add-ons
At 20, Jacquet is on his way to Liverpool after sealing the deal in January. Sources agree—he’s got plenty of qualities to shine at Anfield.