Chelsea and Liverpool both proved they need to sign defensive midfielders in the final weeks of the transfer window following their thrilling 1-1 draw on Sunday. But Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp should not be regretting their inability to keep N’Golo Kante and Fabinho at their respective clubs.
Both stars – once key cogs at their former Premier League sides – were beginning to show signs of being past their best. Their decisions to take the eye-watering sums of money from Saudi Arabia’s glitzy football project only emphasised that fact.
Kante and Fabinho made their Saudi Pro League debuts in Al-Ittihad’s 3-0 win over Al-Raed on Monday. The midfielders were part of a new-look starting 11 that also included the former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.
But neither Chelsea nor Liverpool will have watched on with much jealousy as both struggled to stamp their authority on the match. Losing both players was a mere annoyance, rather than a nightmare, for Pochettino and Klopp. Allowing the players to leave will ultimately be proved to be the correct decision.
The slower pace of Saudi’s developing game will suit Kante and Fabinho, who both struggled with injuries in their final years in English football. A poorer standard of football means they can meander through matches at a canter. The difference in quality among the players on the pitch at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium gave the air of a testimonial.
Al-Ittihad’s new duo made up their double pivot in midfield. Spurred on from the touchline by former Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo, Kante was given the freedom to move forward, even occupying positions on either wing when his side moved forward.
It was somewhat ironic given the billions spent this summer that the two decisive moments were produced by faces familiar with Saudi football. Fabinho’s tackle led to Karim Benzema playing through Abderrazak Hamdallah, the club’s top scorer in their title-winning campaign last term.
The attacker took a touch before driving his effort beyond the goalkeeper with a rare moment of quality. Igor Coronado then curled in a sumptuous effort with 15 minutes to play before tapping home a third after Kante’s shot was parried.
Back in England, neither Chelsea nor Liverpool will harbour many regrets that Kante and Fabinho were not involved in Sunday’s Premier League opener. Enzo Fernandez’s January arrival at Stamford Bridge means the Frenchman was no longer a necessity in the Blues’ midfield.
Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia are set to join Fernandez amid Todd Boehly’s own lavish spending. Pochettino now has a wealth of talent in midfield, while his predecessors once relied solely on Kante.
At Liverpool, a lack of a recognised defensive midfielder is the result of poor forward-planning, not necessarily Fabinho’s sanctioned departure. Missing out on Caicedo and Lavia is a major blow to Klopp, but a lengthy list of alternative targets will surely draw a proper long-term replacement for their Brazilian former anchor.
