Fenerbahce President Sadettin Saran publicly thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after the club completed the high-profile transfer of France international N’Golo Kante.

Axar.az informs, citing Daily Sabah, “Our club has successfully completed the transfer process of one of world football’s most important players, N’Golo Kante,” Saran said in a written statement.

“I would like to express my gratitude, on behalf of myself and our club, to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the significant support he provided in ensuring this process concluded positively, in a way that will benefit both Fenerbahce and Turkish football.”

Kante, 34, agreed to join Fenerbahce during the January 2026 transfer window after leaving Chelsea for Saudi side Al-Ittihad in 2023.

A 2018 FIFA World Cup winner and two-time Premier League champion, he remains one of the most respected defensive midfielders of his generation.

Yet the deal nearly collapsed at the final hurdle.

Contract termination issues, documentation discrepancies and system approvals between Al-Ittihad and FIFA left the transfer hanging by a thread late on Feb. 3. Fenerbahçe acknowledged the process had become increasingly uncertain, with reports suggesting the move was close to being abandoned altogether.

The breakthrough came overnight. Al-Ittihad agreed to terminate Kante’s contract, FIFA intervened to unblock procedural barriers, and legal arrangements were finalized in the early hours of Feb. 4.

Fenerbahce formally registered the transfer with the Turkish Football Federation and signed Kante to a 2.5-year contract running through June 2028.