On 4 February, Fenerbahce officially announced the signing of Kanté.
N'Golo Kanté, 34, joined Al-Ittihad on a free transfer from Chelsea in July 2023. During his two and a half years with the club, Kanté made 105 appearances for Al-Ittihad in all competitions, contributing 10 goals and 11 assists, and winning one Saudi Premier League title and one Saudi King's Cup.
According to Turkish media outlet Sabah Spor, Kanté has forfeited a €25 million annual salary and accepted an €8 million offer from Fenerbahce.
Previously, Turkish journalist Yağız Sabuncuoğlu reported that the transfers of Kanté and En-Nesyri fell through due to Cristiano Ronaldo's interference in Karim Benzema's transfer to Al-Hilal. Subsequently, the journalist stated that the Saudi league management had approved Al-Ittihad's acquisition of Fenerbahce striker En-Nesyri, thus allowing Kanté to join Fenerbahce.