N’golo Kante denies being threatened with a gun during agent dispute

French investigative website Mediapart allege one of the Chelsea midfielder’s advisors threatened to murder his primary agent

N’Golo Kante's return to full fitness is unknown (Reuters)

N’golo Kante has denied that he was threatened by a man carrying a gun during an astonishing dispute between agents and advisors following his £32m move to Chelsea.

French investigative website Mediapart claims Kante was told his primary agent Abdelkarim Douis would be killed if the midfielder did not fire him. The incident allegedly took place in a suburb of Paris in March 2017 and concerned a dispute over the €4.8m commission generated as part of Kante’s move to Stamford Bridge.

It’s alleged one of Kante’s advisors, Rachid Saadna, and his brother Houari, confronted the World Cup winner after they did not receive any share of the commission.

Mediapart claim to have a recording where Saadna can be heard saying “my brother came cleverly … he did not come [to exert] violence on a small one. He gave him the choice,” while also referencing that he did not point the “gun” at Kante.

In the same recording, Mediapart allege Houari said: “I give you the choice. You work with a lawyer and you stop working with the other. Listen, I’m not kidding, either you resolve the problem or I kill Karim Douis, period.”

Kante acknowledged a “discussion” had taken place to Mediapart but denied he had been threatened and added, via his lawyer: “I am a football professional, I do not live in a world of thugs.”

Kante also denied that he was put under any pressure during his choice of representation.

“You take me for an immature person,” he said. “Know that I am responsible, I make my choices freely and in conscience.”

Kante filed a lawsuit against one of his former agents, Nouari Khiari, this week with the Paris prosecutor’s office, citing fraud and breach of trust.

The complaint alleges ”attempted fraud” and “illegal exercise of the profession of sports agent”.

According to French newspaper L’Equipe, the pair began working together in July 2016 before Kante ended their agreement a year later for a severance fee of €150,000.

“I was too kind,” Kante told L’Equipe. “I wanted to believe in this person’s honesty and sincerity. But he was only driven by the financial aspects.”