Kante is one of the most renowned footballers in the world. His work rate, speed, and technical ability as a holding midfielder for Chelsea truly signified the golden age of football for the London club. But, he shocked fans and surprised the entire soccer community when he decided to ‘cash out’ on his career and take a huge pay increase to go to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Pro League has gotten many players from the European leagues, but Kante was up there with one of the most surprising players.
He is a veteran, but he is not nearing the end of his career. He was called up for the France National Team to play in the Euros just a month ago to signify his dominance as a holding midfielder. So, why did he go to Saudi — and will he come back to England this year?
Kante Could go to West Ham in the Premier League
Kante may have made a mistake going to the Saudi Pro League before he was ready. Although he made an exorbitant amount of money to go to Saudi Arabia after Chelsea to help the team perform well in their domestic league, he could have had a different trajectory to his career if he stayed in England. Now, he may not be able to come back. Al-Ittihad rejected West Ham’s most recent bid to try and get Kante back into England to play in the Prem. Although Chelsea have not put out any feelers for their ex-=midfielder, West Ham United has — but it looks like they will be unable to afford the player in the Saudi league.
Al-Ittihad has denied West Ham’s most recent $16+ million offer for Kante to go to England, stating that they need a minimum of $27 million to even consider letting their star player go. That means that West Ham needs to nearly double their offer if they hope to try and bargain with the financial giants in the Middle East. Despite Kante claiming that he is ‘happy’ in the Saudi League, many fans, pundits, commentators, and coaches state that he is better suited to English football. He should never have left, as he wasn’t’ waning in his career, fitness, or consistency. Many footballing fans would love to see Kante back in the Premier League for the final years of his career.
Kante’s Career
Kante began his youth career at JS Suresnes in France, where he played and developed for eight years since he was 10 years old. Then, he moved to Boulogne in 2012, further progressing to play at the senior level for Caen in 2013 — at just 22 years old. Then, after impressing for his local side, he got a huge deal that saw him sign for Leicester City in 2015, where he went on to make 37 appearances for the club.
After starting every game for the Foxes in the 2015 season, he moved to Chelsea in 2016 and never looked back. He played nearly 200 games for the Blues between 2016 and 2023, making him one of their best and most coveted players. However, he shocked Londoners and Chelsea fans when he signed for Al-Ittihad in 2023 at 32 years old. So far, he has played 30 games for his Saudi club.
Moreover, the ‘engine’ was recalled for the France squad in the just concluded Euro 2024 tournament. While France suffered a defeat in the semi-final against Spain, it was Kante’s first loss in French colors. This clearly shows how impactful he has been for the National team in all these years.
