Tottenham Hotspur may have been handed a transfer boost as Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante reportedly wants to stay in London in his search for a new club.
The World Cup winner has hardly featured for Chelsea this season, making just two appearances amid a host of injury problems, and is now expected to leave the club once his contract expires this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Frenchman has won nearly everything on offer at Stamford Bridge since joining from Leicester City in 2016, but his time at the club looks to be coming to an end.
According to a report from Foot Mercato, the 31-year-old could now become a potential option for Spurs and Arsenal as he is keen to remain in London.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano claimed that although Kante would happily stay at Chelsea, a new deal is a long way off, and given his desire to stay in the capital, this could open the door to a Spurs move.
“N’Golo Kante would love to stay at Chelsea, he loves London, he loves the club, he loves the fans, he has a great relationship with all the teammates, so Kante would love to stay at the club but the reality is that, at the moment, there is still no agreement between the two parties,” Romano stated.
“This is why the expectation of those close to the player’s side and the club’s side is for N’Golo Kante to leave on a free.
“Big opportunity for many clubs, let’s see if he will decide to stay in the Premier League or try a different kind of experience.”
TIF thoughts on Kante…
Although he is arguably one of the best Premier League midfielders of all time, given his performances and trophy haul, Kante’s injury problems simply do not make him a reliable option on a high wage.
Given that Spurs have Pierre-Emiile Hojberg, Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma in the central midfield position, we do not think signing another player in a similar mould should be a priority for the Lilywhites.
However, Kante’s previous experience under Antonio Conte, which includes a Premier League title and a FA Cup in 89 appearances under the Italian, he may be an attractive rotational option despite his injuries, and on a free transfer, a proven winner could be hard to turn down.