Chelsea

Chelsea

Premier League • England

N’Golo Kante transfer latest: Prospect of double Chelsea loss emerges, with midfielder ‘open’ to signing for specific suitor

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante

N’Golo Kante has become a target for a familiar suitor looking to take advantage of his Chelsea contract situation, according to a report.

Kante is in the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge. So far, it has looked questionable as to whether he will sign a renewal. Although at the peak of his powers he is an elite operator, there have been concerns about his fitness record in recent months.

Therefore, Chelsea would want him to reduce his wages if he was to extend his stay with them. A compromise might be needed on either side.

There have been some fears in the meantime that Chelsea could lose Kante to a direct rival. A recent report listed London foes Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur as potential takers for the France international.

A sense of relief came on Monday when it was reported that Kante would not be going down such an avenue. Indeed, he may yet want to remain at Chelsea.

However, an update from the Evening Standard has shed light on how there may still be cause for concern in west London when it comes to Kante’s future.

According to the Evening Standard, Barcelona have added the 2018 World Cup winner to their shortlist. They have been focusing on signing free agents in recent transfer windows and now have their eyes on Kante.

Barcelona already raided Chelsea in the summer. They took Andreas Christensen at the end of his contract with the Premier League giants. The Spanish side also signed Marcos Alonso on a permanent transfer.

Barcelona midfield move a possibility

Now, they are taking a look at Kante as a potential reinforcement for 2023. And the report from the Evening Standard has claimed that Chelsea’s number seven would be “open” to joining them.

The same would go for Barcelona’s El Clasico rivals Real Madrid, for that matter.

What’s more, the Evening Standard has backed up recent reports of a potential interest from Barcelona in Kante’s Chelsea colleague, Jorginho.

The Italy international is also due to be out of contract in 2023. His agent is believed to be exploring a transfer to Barcelona, although the Evening Standard predicts interest from within Serie A as well.

Chelsea have until the New Year to try and tie down Kante and Jorginho to longer deals. They could yet do so in 2023, but run the risk of seeing them sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign taker like Barcelona instead.

N’Golo Kante, Jorginho contracts a concern for Chelsea

It seems that both N’Golo Kante and Jorginho wouldn’t mind staying at Stamford Bridge. However, Chelsea will need to act decisively if that feeling is mutual, to avoid them becoming tempted by clubs such as Barcelona.

Neither Kante nor Jorginho has played in La Liga before. Therefore, representing Barcelona would be a new experience for them.

Over the years, the club from Catalonia have had some illustrious options in their midfield department. Hence, there would be big expectations on either player if they were to move to Camp Nou.

Chelsea might be hoping anything like that is hypothetical, though. For now, Kante and Jorginho should remain committed to their cause. They have made 262 and 200 appearances for the club to date respectively.

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