Key Takeaways:
- Fenerbahçe and Al-Ittihad agreed yesterday on N’Golo Kanté’s transfer, valued at approximately 4 million euros
- Youssef En-Nesyri was due to join Al-Ittihad, having already bid farewell to teammates and fans
- Official registration documents were not processed in time, ultimately causing both transfers to collapse
Transfer Agreement Reaches Surprise Impasse
The much-anticipated dual transfer involving N’Golo Kanté and Youssef En-Nesyri has ended in disappointment, as negotiations broke down at the final stage. Despite a reported mutual understanding reached yesterday, which set the stage for Kanté to move from Al-Ittihad to Fenerbahçe for a fee of approximately 4 million euros, complications have prevented the completion of the deals.
The arrangement was intended to also see Moroccan forward Youssef En-Nesyri make the switch to Saudi Arabia. En-Nesyri had already taken steps to depart, including bidding farewell to his colleagues and supporters of the Yellow Canaries.
🚨🛑 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
Documentation Errors Undermine Finalisation
The transfers stalled after the required documentation failed to enter the proper system before the registration deadline. Fenerbahçe addressed the situation with a formal club statement, placing responsibility squarely on Al-Ittihad for errors made within the Transfer Management System (TMS).
According to Fenerbahçe, all administrative procedures – including player agreements, medical checks, approvals, and documentation uploads – had been completed correctly and on schedule from their side. Nonetheless, Fenerbahçe asserted that “due to incorrectly entered information in the TMS (Transfer Management System) by the other club, the procedures could not be completed within the registration period for reasons beyond our control.”
The club further noted their efforts to rectify the issue by requesting an extension and consulting with FIFA. However, Al-Ittihad did not complete their obligations or provide an explanation, leaving the matter unresolved.
As a consequence, both Kanté’s move to Fenerbahçe and En-Nesyri’s switch to Al-Ittihad did not go ahead.
Official Statements and Ongoing Club Strategy
In a closing statement, Fenerbahçe acknowledged the disappointment felt by their supporters and emphasised their ongoing commitment to building a strong squad for future objectives.
