According to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper, the management of Al-Ittihad club rejected an official offer from Al-Hilal club, which aimed to acquire the French star N'Golo Kante on loan during the 2025 Club World Cup.

The Al-Hilal offer was valued at around 2 million dollars and was limited to the duration of the tournament only; however, the Union management firmly rejected the offer without showing any willingness to negotiate or amend the terms.

Despite multiple attempts to pressure the Union management to approve the deal, the response was decisive that the club does not need the financial compensation and prefers to maintain the stability of the technical team.

The Union management believes that temporarily releasing Kante could negatively impact the team's preparation plans, especially before the start of a busy season of competitions such as the AFC Champions League and the Saudi Super Cup.

It is worth noting that Kante is considered one of the key pillars of the team and one of the players who has exerted significant physical effort throughout the season, making granting him a rest period a priority in preparation for upcoming challenges.