Saudi giants Ittihad Jeddah have verbally rejected a £15 million for N’Golo Kante made by West Ham United.
It was revealed earlier this week that West Ham are reportedly in talks to sign former Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante from Ittihad Jeddah.
Kante made the move to Saudi Arabia last year along with several Premier League stars to follow in the footsteps of Al-Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Frenchman along with countryman Karim Benzema, Fabinho, Jota, and Luiz Felipe all joined Ittihad Jeddah to help the club challenge for the league title.
Despite the Tigers ending the campaign with a disappointing fifth-place finish, Kante enjoyed a successful season in the Middle East making 44 appearances, scoring four goals and assisting six times.
This led West Ham United to try and convince the World Cup winner of a return back to England, where he won two Premier League titles.
However, it seems like the Tigers don’t want to let go of their midfielder after rejecting an initial £15m made by the Hammers, according to The Athletic.
The report added that West Ham have to raise their offer to at least £25m for Al Ittihad to even entertain the possibility of selling the 33-year-old.
The Athletic also revealed that Ittihad Jeddah are very keen on keeping Kante, who is delighted to continue his career in Saudi Arabia.