Everton recently held talks with Al-Ittihad over a deal for N’Golo Kante.
The Toffees spoke to the Saudi Arabian side after they put the France international on the market this winter, as they face the prospect of losing him on a free transfer when his contract ends in July.
Now, a story from Fotomac in Turkey states where Kante wants to go next in his career amid interest from Everton and Fenerbahce.
N’Golo Kante to Everton, YES or NO? 😮
N’Golo Kante eager to seal Turkey move despite Everton interest
The Turkish news outlet now believe the 2018 World Cup winner wants to test himself in Turkey.
Fotomac say Kante is pushing to join Fenerbahce, and the Super Lig outfit are now trying to facilitate a deal for the 34-year-old having wanted to secure his signature for years.
It is said that a meeting is set to take place amongst Fenerbahce officials to determine whether they can meet his annual salary expectation of €10m (£9m) – so there may still be some hope yet for Everton if they decide the deal is not financially possible.
That equates to a salary of £173,076-a-week.
Kante – who Everton fans are unsure about signing anyway – made 227 Premier League appearances during his time at Leicester and Chelsea, winning a Premier League title with each side.
Everton can afford to wait until the summer to reassess N’Golo Kante situation
With Kante currently unwilling to return to England, there is little reason for Everton to waste precious time attempting to convince the 34-year-old.
The return of Idrissa Gueye for the 1-1 draw against Leeds on Monday saw Merlin Rohl drop to the bench despite an impressive display in the recent 1-0 win over Aston Villa.
David Moyes also has Tim Iroegbunam to call upon behind James Garner and Harrison Armstrong too, so Kante – as talented as he is – should not be viewed as a priority this winter.
Of course, if it gets to a point where the Frenchman becomes a free agent this summer, then Everton should be firmly in the mix for his signature.
Is James Garner good enough to be playing for England at the World Cup? 🏴
Thomas Tuchel has not called him up to a squad yet…
For now, however, it is not worth the trouble when Moyes still has a lack of depth in the striker department and weak options in both full-back positions.
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