Chelsea FC have become the favourites to sign N’Golo Kante from Leicester City after the Frenchman thwarted approaches from Chinese club Shanghai SIPG, if reports from the British media are to be believed.
N’Golo Kante was in impressive form last season helping Leicester City win their first ever Premier League title. He was also largely regarded as one of their best players in the league. His excellent performances with the Foxes throughout the season earned him a spot in the 23-man French squad in the recently concluded 2016 European Championships in France.
He carried his good form through to the European Championships, which means a number of top European clubs have targeted the Leicester star to add to their squad. The likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, and Serie A champions Juventus have all shown a keen interest in the 25-year-old.
While Leicester have been trying hard to keep hold of their most-prized midfielder, reports earlier this year suggested that Kante has refused a new improved contract offer from the Foxes. This was the biggest indication that the Frenchman wanted a move away from Leicester in the summer.
Meanwhile, Leicester are set to earn a hefty profit for Kante, who was bought for a paltry £5.6 million from Ligue 1 club Caen last year. The 25-year-old’s current contract with Leicester keeps him at the club for another three years. However, the Foxes have a £20 million release clause on the Frenchman’s deal.
While the £20 million deal for the Frenchman is set to earn them a hefty profit, Leicester know that they can get more for a player of Kante’s calibre. Hence, they have another clause in his contract that allows them to sell the player to the highest bidder. According to a report in British newspaper the Daily Telegraph, Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG have offered Leicester £35 million for Kante.
However, the Frenchman is reportedly not too keen on a move to China and has rejected advances from Shanghai, according to the report in the Daily Telegraph.
This puts Chelsea in pole position to land Kante’s signature, as they look to rebuild for next season. With Shanghai bidding £35 million for the player, the Blues will probably have to offer Leicester more than the £20 million release clause. However, reports suggest that the West London side will not be matching the Chinese club’s offer. Instead, they are set to hold talks with Leicester to hammer out a suitable price for the Frenchman.
Why does Conte want Kante?
Newly appointed Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has amazed everyone with his tactical acumen, while playing the 3-5-2 formation with Italy, at the 2016 European Championship. One thing that has been constant in Conte’s side is that he has preferred hard-working players over the more skillful ones — one of the main reasons why midfielders like Emanuele Giaccherini got the nod for the Italian squad, over the more celebrated AC Milan playmaker Giacomo Bonaventura.
Kante has proved over the course of the 2015/16 season that he is one of the most hardworking midfielders in the Premier League. The Leicester man has made 156 interceptions from 37 Premier League appearances — the highest in the league.
The Blues have lacked a hard-working midfielder in the middle of the park, with both Fabregas and Matic playing specific (advanced and deeper respectively) roles last season. A third midfielder, who will act as a box-to-box player could pump a lot of energy into the Chelsea side which would make Kante a very smart signing for Conte.
