Cristiano Ronaldo went on a strike in Saudi Arabia this week, refusing to play in the league match against Al Riyadh. His efforts to block Karim Benzema’s move fell through, but N’Golo Kante suffered in the end.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Protest Ends Up With N’Golo Kante’s Move Falling Through
Ronaldo was furious with PIF for their failure to provide any funds for Al-Nassr to sign players in the winter window. They were given just one player – an 18-year-old midfielder – while title rivals saw the addition of Benzema, along with Kader Meite, Pablo Mari, Sultan Mandash, and Murad Al-Hawsawi.
The protest delayed the Frenchman’s move to Al Hilal, but the domino effect saw Kante’s proposed move to Fenerbahce fall through. The former Chelsea man was keen to return to Europe, but a technical error by the Saudi Pro League side left his paperwork incomplete, and the deadline passed on deadline day.
The midfielder had undergone his medical and was all set to sign on the dotted line, but the error has forced him to return to Saudi Arabia. The transfer also involved Youssef En-Nesyri moving in the opposite direction, but that has also been blocked by FIFA due to a paperwork issue.
The Turkish side confirmed that everything was in order for the move, but was forced to accept that the deal would not be completed due to the error. They released a statement on Tuesday, February 3, and said:
“The transfer process involving N’Golo Kante and Youssef En-Nesyri with Al Ittihad Club has been meticulously conducted by our club in all aspects, as planned. The opposing club’s incorrect entry of the relevant TMS information, the transactions could not be completed within the transfer registration period, independently of our club. The opposing club has not completed the transactions without providing any justification to us.”
Kante has since refused to train with Al-Ittihad and is working to make the switch this month. The Turkish window remains open for the midfielder to make the switch, but the swap deal will not go ahead as the Saudi window is now shut.
The clubs have been left with three options as things stand: either wait until the summer to complete the swap deal, or terminate the contracts of both players so they can join as free agents.
The third option would be for Kante to join the Turkish side for a fee, but En-Nesyri would not be moving in the opposite direction until the summer.
