Kanté-En-Nesyri swap collapses after Al-Ittihad's deadline day blunder
The proposed exchange between Fenerbahçe and Al-Ittihad fell through at the last minute, with the Turkish club blaming 'incorrect information' from the Saudi side.
What was meant to be a straightforward swap deal between two clubs has descended into a proper dog’s dinner, with neither player changing shirts after a bizarre administrative cock-up.
The proposed exchange of N’Golo Kanté from Al-Ittihad and Youssef En-Nesyri from Fenerbahçe collapsed at the transfer deadline, despite both clubs apparently having agreed terms and completed medical examinations.
What went wrong?
According to a strongly-worded statement from Fenerbahçe, they did everything by the book. The Turkish club claims they meticulously followed all procedures, uploading the necessary transfer documents correctly and on time.
However, they point the finger squarely at Al-Ittihad for “incorrectly entering relevant information” into FIFA’s Transfer Matching System (TMS). This administrative error apparently torpedoed the entire deal.
Fenerbahçe requested an extension from FIFA to salvage the transfers, but their plea fell on deaf ears. Making matters worse, they claim Al-Ittihad then failed to complete their side of the process “without presenting any justification.”
Wider context
The collapsed deal comes at a turbulent time for Al-Ittihad, who’ve just seen their star man Karim Benzema depart for rivals Al-Hilal. That move seems to have triggered a chain reaction within the Saudi club’s transfer strategy.
The Saudi transfer market has been a bit like trying to navigate through a desert sandstorm lately - visibility is poor and anything can happen. This latest balls-up will do nothing to improve that reputation.
What happens next?
For now, both players remain with their current employers. Fenerbahçe still have four more days of their transfer window remaining, so could potentially explore other options for En-Nesyri.
The Turkish club expressed their disappointment in their statement, acknowledging the frustration felt by supporters, but insisted they continue “restructuring the squad with the same determination and discipline.”
Kanté, meanwhile, stays put at Al-Ittihad, where he’ll need to refocus after coming so close to a move back to European football.