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N'Golo Kante 'compares the standard of the Saudi Pro League to Ligue 1... as the Al-Ittihad midfielder admits he has been surprised by the quality of the division' since his summer move
Дата публикации: 17-10-2023 08:50:17

The French midfielder, 32, joined Saudi champions Al-Ittihad on a two-year-deal worth £172m in June after leaving Chelsea upon the expiry of his contract.

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  • N'Golo Kante joined Al-Ittihad on a two-year-deal worth £172m in the summer
  • The midfielder outlined how impressed he had been with the league's quality 
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By WILL PICKWORTH, SPORTS REPORTER

Published: 09:15 BST, 17 October 2023 | Updated: 09:50 BST, 17 October 2023

N'Golo Kante has reportedly admitted he has been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Saudi Pro League since his summer move.

The French midfielder, 32, joined Saudi champions Al-Ittihad on a two-year-deal worth £172m in June after leaving Chelsea upon the expiry of his contract.

Kante was one of several stars to make the move to the Middle East, with the former Chelsea favourite joined by the likes of Fabinho and Karim Benzema at Al-Ittihad, while others such as Neymar, Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez moved to rival clubs in the country's top flight.

The division has received criticism for being of a low standard, but according to L'Equipe, Kante outlined how impressed he has been and compared the quality of the top five teams to the level of Ligue 1 in France.

The 32-year-old has impressed since joining Al-Ittihad, who are managed by former Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

N'Golo Kante admitted he has been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Saudi Pro League

Kante moved to Al-Ittihad in the summer along with stars such as Karim Benzema (right)

Kante has started all nine of their league games so far this season - which is a far cry from his injury-ravaged final campaign with Chelsea - and even scored a stunning long range screamer against Al-Fateh last month to secure an important win.

Such has his form been that there is clamour for Kante, who won the World Cup with France in 2018, to return to the Les Bleus side ahead of next summer's European Championship.

Kante - who played in Ligue 1 earlier in his career for Caen - has won 53 caps for his country, but hasn't featured for Didier Deschamps' side since June 2022.

Meanwhile, his comments about the quality of the league come after similar ones from Neymar.

The likes of Neymar (pictured), Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez joined rival clubs in the SPL

Kante has been so impressive that there have been calls for him to return to the France team

The Brazilian joined table-toppers Al-Hilal from PSG for £78m on a contract worth £130m per-year and discussed his early impressions of football in Saudi Arabia on international duty last month.

He told reporters: 'For the names that went to Saudi Arabia, I wouldn't be surprised if the Saudi league is better than the French.'

Saudi clubs spent more than £750m during the summer and are also favourites to win the hosting rights for the 2034 World Cup.

They launched their bid for the tournament earlier this month as football continues to go from strength to strength in the kingdom. 

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