The proposed transfer was part of a player swap, with Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri expected to move to Al-Ittihad. However, Fenerbahce said the deal could not be finalised on Monday due to incorrect entries made by the Saudi club in FIFA’s Transfer Matching System (TMS).
“Due to incorrect entry of the relevant TMS information by the opposing club, the procedures could not be completed within the transfer registration period, for reasons independent of our club,” Fenerbahce said, insisting it paid “meticulous attention to every detail.”
The FIFA TMS is mandatory for all international transfers, and must be completed accurately within set deadlines. Fenerbahce added that it requested an extension and engaged FIFA in discussions to try and resolve the issue.
“An extension was requested, the necessary discussions were held by our club with FIFA, and all steps were taken to resolve the process,” the club said. “Despite this, during the ongoing process, the opposing club failed to complete the procedures without providing any justification to us.”
Kanté, 34, joined Al-Ittihad in 2023 after a successful spell in Europe and has recently returned to the French national team. He made his 65th appearance for Les Bleus in November, featuring in France’s 4-0 win over Ukraine.
Fenerbahce, meanwhile, is still chasing its first Turkish league title in 12 years. The club has already signed another France international, midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi, who is aiming to regain a place in the national squad ahead of the next World Cup.