"Kante is an Ittihad player now!" the club said on Twitter, while chairman Anmar al-Hailee tweeted: "Welcome to our new tiger Kante," a reference to the team's nickname.
"Karim "Banzema has signed a contract for his transfer to Al-Ittihad for a three-year period starting next season," said the source.
The 35-year-old Frenchman had looked set to stay at the Spanish club for one more year after a 2022-23 season in which he struggled with injuries and missed out on France's World Cup campaign in Qatar due to another injury.
Karim Benzema will continue to play for Real Madrid. But when he eventually looks back at his biggest victories, he might feel a pang of regret that they won't include a World Cup.
Benzema, who last month won the Ballon d’Or, the prestigious award that anoints the world player of the year, sustained an injury to his left thigh during a training session Saturday.
Not since Brazil lost the 1998 final to France has the defending champion come close to retaining the FIFA World Cup title.
France's striker’s spot will almost certainly be taken by the reigning Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, who returns to World Cup action for the first time after the 2014 edition
Karim Benzema became the fifth Frenchman on Monday to get his hands on the coveted Ballon d'Or prize for his incredible trophy-laden 2021/2022 season with Real Madrid
Spanish player Alexia Putellas won the women’s trophy for the second straight year following another standout season with Barcelona.