Chelsea star N’Golo Kante is close to agreeing terms with Al Ittihad for a deal worth £86million

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante is close to agreeing terms to join Saudi Arabian outfit Al Ittihad.

A delegation from the Middle East club was in London on Tuesday evening to go over the terms of the deal worth around £86million a year.

The 32-year old will be a free agent at the end of this month and has been offered a contract until 2025.

Kante had been in talks over a new deal with Chelsea but negotiations stalled after March.

Chelsea want a younger squad and are in discussions with Brighton regarding a move for £80m-rated Moises Caicedo.

Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante is close to agreeing terms to join Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad

It is unclear whether the player features in new manager Mauricio Pochettino’s long-term plans

The Saudi Arabian league is launching a major recruitment drive across Europe.

They have lured Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema and have made offers for the likes of Lionel Messi, Serge Busquets, Paul Pogba, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. Many more are expected to be tempted by the millions on offer over the summer. 

Mail Sport previously reported that talks between Al-Ittihad and Kante’s camp started several days ago and the aim is for an agreement to be reached as soon as possible.

Kante first joined the Blues in 2016, winning back-to-back Premier League titles with two different clubs in the process, having done so with Leicester in 2015-16.

Todd Boehly has invested heavily in the previous two windows with the club’s ranks now bloated

An exit for Kante could leave the Blues with a gap in defensive midfield that will need addressing

Despite his stature within the game, it has been unclear as to whether he will be part of Mauricio Pochettino’s plans next season. 

Having invested heavily in recent transfer windows – nearly £600million since Todd Boehly took over last summer – the club’s ranks are now bloated to the tune of around 30 players. 

As such, a number of current stars are anticipated to be leaving, including the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Edouard Mendy, Mateo Kovacic, Kalidou Koulibaly and Cesar Azpilicueta. 

Should Kante leave, the Blues would be left with few players capable of playing in a deeper midfield role, with Kovacic linked with a switch to treble-chasers Manchester City.