N'Golo Kante feels Saudi Pro League’s level is similar to Ligue 1

Rajarshi has been part of Khel Now since 2022, and he covers world football.

Published at :October 18, 2023 at 12:37 AM

Modified at :October 18, 2023 at 12:37 AM

N'Golo Kante feels Saudi Pro League’s level is similar to Ligue 1

N'Golo Kante joined Al-Ittihad from Chelsea

The level of the Saudi Pro League has allegedly pleasantly awed N'Golo Kante since his summer transfer.

The 32-year-old French midfielder left Chelsea after his deal with them expired and signed a two-year, £172 million agreement with Saudi giants Al-Ittihad.

Fabinho, Karim Benzema, and Kante were among the names who transferred to the Middle East, joining the former Chelsea favourite at Al-Ittihad, while Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane, and Neymar switched to rival teams in the nation's top division.

Although the division has drawn fire for being of a low calibre, Kante expressed his admiration for it to L'Equipe and compared the calibre of the top five clubs to that of Ligue 1 in France.

After joining Al-Ittihad, who are led by former Wolves and Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo, the 32-year-old has made an impression.

In contrast to his injury-plagued final season with Chelsea, Kante has started every one of his team's nine league games so far this year. Last month, he even scored an incredible long-range goal against Al-Fateh to secure a crucial victory.

Kante, who lifted the 2018 World Cup with France, has become in such high demand due to his recent form.

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 invested upwards of £750 million over the summer, and they are the front-runners to get the right to host the 2034 World Cup.

They announced their bid for the competition earlier this month as sports in the kingdom begin to grow.

Rajarshi Shukla

After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.