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.