Fenerbahçe’s attempt to bring N’Golo Kanté back to Europe has collapsed, while the Turkish club also failed to complete the outgoing transfer of Youssef En-Nesyri to Al-Ittihad after the moves were not registered in time with FIFA.
The two clubs had been working on a deal that would have seen the French international leave the Saudi Pro League for Istanbul, while the Moroccan striker headed in the opposite direction.
Reports earlier indicated that an agreement in principle had been reached between the clubs, with En-Nesyri included in the transaction and a financial term expected to be paid to Fenerbahçe.
Kanté, 34, was reported to have agreed on personal terms with the Süper Lig side, while En-Nesyri had also accepted the proposed move to Jeddah. The former Chelsea midfielder underwent medical checks, and both players were prepared for registration before the winter window closed.
As confirmed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the breakdown happened at the administrative stage. The transfers were not approved through FIFA’s Transfer Matching System (TMS) before the deadline, which meant neither registration could be completed.
🚨🛑 N’Golo Kanté to Fenerbahçe and Youssef En-Nesyri to Al Ittihad, deals are both OFF.
FIFA reject the appeal from both clubs, as it was verbally agreed but 𝒏𝒐𝒕 here we go due to documents problems. pic.twitter.com/16MtHHsC3H
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 3, 2026
Fenerbahçe, in an official statement, later confirmed that the required documentation was not validated in time, preventing the moves from being finalised.
The club statement said the Istanbul-based club submitted their paperwork within the required timeframe. The issue was attributed to errors in the information entered on the Al-Ittihad side, which caused delays in the system and left the process incomplete when the window closed.
As a result, Kanté remains under contract with the Saudi champions. En-Nesyri also stays in Istanbul for the remainder of the season.
