Arsenal have questioned N’Golo Kante officials about a possible move to north London, although the midfielder is reportedly likely to stay at Chelsea.
The 32-year-old’s current contract with The Blues expires at the end of the season and he is in talks to extend. Chelsea are optimistic they can convince the world champions to stay.
However, rival clubs are circling – foreign clubs have been able to speak to Kante since January, when he entered the final six months of his contract – while there is also interest from the Premier League.
According to French newspaper Le Parisien, Arsenal initially looked at the possibility of signing Kante and remaining interested in the midfielder in January.
In the end, The Gunners opted to sign Kante’s Chelsea teammate Jorginho for £12 million, which was probably the right move as the Frenchman is still fully fit.
Arsenal needed a break to provide cover and competition in midfield, but Kante struggled with a hamstring injury for most of the season and only returned to action earlier this month.
Kante would be open to the idea of joining another London club – and would even be open to reuniting with Antonio Conte before he was sacked by Spurs – although the most likely outcome is him being extended at Chelsea.
“N’Golo would like to continue his career in London, where he has his habits,” an unnamed member of Kante’s entourage told Le Parisien.
“He liked working with Antonio Conte, but he was sacked at Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal also investigated. I think he will extend his contract with Chelsea before he goes to the Middle East in two or three years.”
Kante has missed much of the season with a hamstring injury that required surgery in the summer.
Incredibly, after starting eleven for Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-finals with Real Madrid, he has had a different manager in each of his last four appearances: Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor and now Frank Lampard.
Caretaker boss Lampard recently gushed about the midfielder, saying last week: “The main reason he’s so good is because he’s the best in the world at destruction.
“When I say destroyer I am talking about winning back the ball. Winning the ball back with its anticipation and speed to cover short distances unrivaled in world football.
“His main quality for me is destruction, leaving areas to recover balls. An old fashioned defensive midfielder who you could say would go for the back four, Makelele did so well for Chelsea years ago.
‘But he [Kante] has so much more to offer. When you see the distances he travels to get in front of people, that acceleration and speed, that’s something special for him. It’s very unique.”
Source: Subway
Source: Metro
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a keen interest in sports and have written for many different publications. I am currently working as an author at 24 News Recorder. I cover mostly sports news but also write about other topics such as current affairs and politics. I have a strong interest in social media and how it can be used to engage with audiences.
