Barcelona rival Manchester United, PSG for N’Golo Kante

Barcelona are reportedly ready to rival Manchester United and PSG in the race to sign Chelsea midfield mainstay N’Golo Kante in the summer.

According to Fichajes, Barcelona are considering making a play for the signing of Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante in the summer, who is also attracting interest from Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.

Kante has been with Chelsea since 2016 and has forged an excellent career for himself at Stamford Bridge, winning almost every trophy he has contested for. However, the 31-year-old is entering the final year of his contract with the west London giants and talks over a renewal are yet to take place due to the change in ownership.

While the UK Government has given the green signal for the takeover, it does not guarantee that the contract negotiations with Kante will bear the desired results. And if talks do not go as planned, Chelsea would be open to offers for the midfielder as they would be keen on avoiding more scenarios like the ones with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, who will depart on free transfers this year.

It has seemingly alerted Barcelona, who have been long-term admirers of Kante. Initial reports had claimed that the Catalans would consider a Bosman move for the Frenchman next year. However, his potential availability this summer, coupled with manager Xavi Hernandez’s need for a new defensive midfielder to cover for and compete with Sergio Busquets, could prompt Barcelona to move for Kante in the summer.

However, signing Kante will not be straightforward for Barcelona as they are set to face competition from two cash-rich clubs in Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.

Manchester United are in the market for a new defensive midfielder as incoming manager Erik ten Hag wants to add more quality to his squad and take the team back to the top. The Dutchman has reportedly identified Kante as a target for the No. 6 position which makes sense given the lack of options in the holding role for Manchester United.

As for PSG, they have been admirers of the Chelsea midfield mainstay for years and have been keen on taking him back to his homeland. With Leandro Paredes staring at an uncertain future at the Parc des Princes, there will be room for a new midfielder on the roster and signing a quality operator like Kante could help PSG build a team capable of realising their European dream.

Kante has endured an injury-riddled 2021/22 campaign but continues to be an integral part of coach Thomas Tuchel’s plans. But amid rising interest in his services, Chelsea must act swiftly to tie him down to a new contract.