N'Golo Kante Nears Short-Term Loan to Al-Hilal for Club World Cup

N'Golo Kante, the celebrated French midfielder known for his success with Leicester City, Chelsea, and France, is reportedly set to join Saudi club Al-Hilal on a short-term loan from Al-Ittihad to participate in the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States. Both Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad are owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has facilitated ongoing talks and optimism for completing the deal. At 34, Kante has spent two years in the Saudi Pro League, helping Al-Ittihad win the 2024-25 Saudi Pro League title and is expected to return to Al-Ittihad following the tournament. At Al-Hilal, he will reunite with former Chelsea teammate Kalidou Koulibaly and join other ex-Premier League stars such as Joao Cancelo, Ruben Neves, and Aleksandar Mitrovic. This move is part of Al-Hilal's strategy to bolster their squad ahead of the Club World Cup, where they face teams like Real Madrid and RB Salzburg. Meanwhile, other high-profile player transfers have faced challenges, but Kante's willingness to switch clubs temporarily is seen as a key opportunity for Al-Hilal to enhance their profile in the competition.