Fenerbahçe have completed the signing of N’Golo Kanté after the midfielder terminated his contract with Al-Ittihad, bringing an end to a transfer process that had earlier stalled following a registration dispute involving FIFA and the Transfer Matching System (TMS).
The Istanbul club had first moved for the 34-year-old during the winter window as part of a linked transaction with the Saudi Pro League side, which also involved Youssef En Nesyri travelling in the opposite direction.
As revealed in an earlier report, agreements were reached between the clubs and with both players, and medical checks were completed, but the proposed registrations were not approved before the deadline due to errors in the documentation submitted on the Al-Ittihad side.
With the window closed, the Turkish side confirmed that appeals were lodged with FIFA in an attempt to complete the deal based on the agreements already in place.
Those appeals were rejected, leaving Kanté registered in Saudi Arabia and En Nesyri remaining in Istanbul, while the original structure of the transfer was abandoned.
Talks continued after the setback, focusing on a different route to complete the move. Al-Ittihad later agreed to terminate Kanté’s contract, releasing the former Chelsea midfielder from the remainder of his deal.
That removed the need for a transfer registration between clubs and allowed Kanté to be registered as a free player. Following the termination, the French international signed a contract with Fenerbahçe running until June 2028.
The club confirmed that the Turkish Football Federation approved the registration after the necessary documents were submitted, bringing the process to a close several days after it first appeared to have failed.
