Arsenal and Chelsea were put on high alert after Leicester City star N’Golo Kante rejected a new deal offered by the club according to reports emanating from France.
A number of clubs are said to be chasing Kante’s signature at the moment, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain all in the race to land the Leicester midfielder.
Kante’s current contract keeps him at the club for another three years at least. However, he has a £25 million release clause in his contract, which his suitors could try and exploit when the transfer window opens. Seeing that a number of clubs are lining up offers for Kante, Leicester are reportedly trying to offer the Frenchman a new deal, which would significantly increase his release clause.
However, the Frenchman has refused to sign the new deal, and looks set for a move away from the Premier League champions in the summer, according to a report in French newspaper Le Parisien.
The 25 year old has had a brilliant season with Leicester City, helping them win their first league title in the history of the football club. Kante lit up the Premier League last season, running the show in Leicester’s midfield alongside Danny Drinkwater. His performances for Leicester earned him his first callup for the French national team.
In fact, Kante made a total of 156 interceptions in the Premier League, which is the highest in all of Europe this season.
Chelsea the only logical destination?
While the likes of Arsenal, PSG and Manchester City can offer Kante Champions League football, the midfielder is unlikely to move to either of those clubs. The interest from Manchester City has not been strong enough to pay much heed. Also, Kante reportedly prefers a move to another Premier League club, which more or less rules PSG out.
With Arsenal signing Granit Xhaka, it seems unlikely that Kante will get regular first team action at the North London club. However, Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic might be looking to reunite with his old boss Jose Mourinho, who looks set to join Manchester United. That would leave the defensive midfielder’s position up for grabs at the Stamford Bridge, making Chelsea a more viable destination for Kante.
