Romano: Serious chances that N’Golo Kante could leave Chelsea for free next summer
As per a tweet from Transfer Expert Fabrizio Romano, there are serious chances that Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante could leave the club as a free agent next summer.
Kante is in the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge with no sign of an extension thus far. The club made a verbal contract offer of two years with an option of a third to the Frenchman, but he rejected it as he wanted a longer duration.
The 31-year-old has been one of the best midfielders of this generation, helping Chelsea to win the Premier League and the Champions League in his time in West London.
However, the 2018 World Cup winner has struggled for continual fitness in the last couple of seasons. He has missed a total of 23 games due to different injuries in the last two seasons. This year, he has been out since the second game of the season in August and will miss games till the World Cup and all of the games in the world tournament as well.
So, as much as Kante is a key player in Chelsea’s midfield, it is hard to justify a longer-term contract extension for him. Moreover, with him being 31 now, his physical fitness won’t improve a lot, barring any miracle.
Hence, it would make sense from the club’s viewpoint to let go of the midfielder for free next summer and find a younger replacement who can offer better availability and longevity.
The likes of Carney Chukwuemeka and Cesare Casadei
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Irrespective of what happens in the future, Kante will always be a club legend here. His consistency and impact on the team were second to none. As much as it is frustrating seeing him injured a lot, it was a pleasure commanding the whole midfield all by himself for the Blues for a number of years.