Former Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kanté (32) has successfully completed a takeover of Belgian third-division club Royal Excelsior Virton. This comes a week after the French international agreed to sign for Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad on the 1st of July. The France international joins the Saudi top-flight team following the expiry of his contract at Chelsea.

A press release from the club, which currently plays in Belgium’s third tier, confirmed that Kanté would replace current chairman Flavio Becca from the same date he officially becomes an Al-Ittihad player. He takes over at Virton with the club debt-free and a board of directors to be finalised in the coming days.

An official club statement, released on Thursday, confirms the World Cup winner aims to lead the club to success by “consolidating the club’s foundations, stabilising the staff and re-connecting with Virton’s tradition of academy training“. Virton’s profile will certainly be raised ahead of the new season with football fans keen to see how the former Leicester midfielder gets on in his first foray into club ownership.

GFFN | Liam Wraith