N'Golo Kante's wages in Saudi Arabia compared to Cristiano Ronaldo & Karim Benzema | OneFootball

N'Golo Kante conquered England twice before setting off to conquer the continent, and he did it with the utmost humility and a big smile on his face.

While injuries have started to take their toll, the Frenchman's status as an all-time Premier League great can't be disputed. The midfielder played a pivotal role in Leicester's miracle before confirming his place among the best in the world under Antonio Conte during Chelsea's title-winning 2016/17 campaign.

World Cup success followed with France as Kante's prestige continued to rise, and while fitness issues have hindered him the midfielder persistently starred when it mattered most. His performance in the 2021 Champions League final was pivotal in Chelsea's victory over the favoured Manchester City.

After a quiet 2022/23, Kante is departing the Premier League without a stain on his legacy. It's time for a new adventure, with the emerging Saudi frontier his next destination.

Kante will join Karim Benzema at current Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad, but how does his reported salary stack up against not only his compatriot but fellow SPL superstar Cristiano Ronaldo?

How much will N'Golo Kante earn at Al Ittihad?

Kante's salary pales in comparison to the two Real Madrid legends / Marc Atkins/GettyImages

There was initial speculation Kante would rake in a whopping salary worth just shy of £86m (€100m), but it's believed this figure will be spread out across his four-year contract.

Thus, the Frenchman is set to earn around £21.5m a season at Al Ittihad.

It's a mammoth salary and the PIF-backed Saudi club clearly have few concerns about the Frenchman's longevity despite his recent injury history by offering him a four-year deal. He'll be 36 by the time his contract in Saudi Arabia expires.

Nevertheless, Al Ittihad are offering Kante a £6m-a-year pay rise compared to his previous contract at Chelsea. The Blues were paying the Frenchman a weekly wage of £290,000 and a salary of just over £15m.

How much will Karim Benzema earn at Al Ittihad?

Benzema has been joined by Kante at Al Ittihad / Yasser Bakhsh/GettyImages

While Kante will slot in as the current third-highest earner in the Saudi Pro League ahead of Ever Banega, his £21.5m salary pales in comparison to new club teammate Benzema.

The French forward is set to be one of the faces of Saudi football for the next few years and Al Ittihad offered the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner a contract which reflects his projected significance. Benzema will be earn a gargantuan £172m a year with the current SPL champions after signing a three-year deal.

Benzema, with the help of his compatriot, will look to guide Al Ittihad to back-to-back SPL titles next season, but a certain Cristiano Ronaldo will be determined to inspire Al Nassr to glory.

What does Cristiano Ronaldo earn at Al Nassr?

Ronaldo enjoyed a productive debut season at Al Nassr / -/GettyImages

The Saudis' first major coup was Ronaldo at the end of 2022 after he departed Man Utd by mutual consent.

Seemingly no longer coveted by Europe's elite, the all-time Portuguese great took his talents over to the Middle East and played a crucial role in raising the profile of the division before the country's 'Big Four' clubs garnered backing from PIF which has triggered a summer of frenetic spending.

Al Nassr shelled out a fortune to bring Ronaldo to Riyadh and offered him a record-breaking contract worth £177m a year. He's the highest-paid footballer in the world and only Benzema's salary can come close to rivalling Ronaldo's.

Al Hilal, however, were reportedly willing to offer Lionel Messi a contract worth a simply ludicrous £345m a year.