Chelsea tipped to lose club icon to Barcelona as Xavi plots stunning double raid on the Blues

Barcelona are reportedly considering moves for two Chelsea stars this summer: N’Golo Kante and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Key midfielder Kante, 32, is currently in talks with the Blues over renewing his contract – which is due to expire at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Aubameyang arrived at Chelsea from the Catalans only last summer but has endured a difficult spell at Stamford Bridge.

Now, according to the Mirror, Xavi is keen on the duo and will offer Kante a two-year deal. Barcelona also reportedly want an answer from Aubameyang by the first week in June.

Kante signed for Chelsea on a £30m deal in 2016, after helping Leicester to lift a Premier League title against all odds.

Since, he has made 266 appearances for the Blues, helping them to win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Europa League,.

Kante recently recovered from a hamstring injury that ruled him out since September. Despite Chelsea’s results not turning around, his presence on the pitch has already made a difference.

With that in mind, Blues supporters would be disappointed to lose the midfielder this summer. But for Barcelona, Kante would undoubtedly be a fantastic signing on a free transfer.

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Aubameyang tipped for Barca return

Chelsea could reportedly offload as many as 15 players this summer with Todd Boehly keen to balance the books after splashing out over £600m on new players this season.

With that in mind, while the departure of Kante may come as a surprise, it’s no shock to see Aubameyang linked with a departure.

The former Arsenal striker signed from Barcelona at the start of the season. However, the 33-year-old has made just 13 league appearances, scoring only one goal for the Blues.

Graham Potter didn’t even feature Aubameyang in Chelsea’s Champions League squad, showing how little impact he has had.

It’s believed that the striker wanted to leave the club in January. However, because he had played for two different clubs already, FIFA rules prevented him from doing so.

Now, Barca boss Xavi has reportedly placed Aubameyang, along with Kante, at the top of his summer shortlist.

The Spanish giants are currently in the midst of financial turmoil, which could limit the majority of their business to free transfers.

As a result, a cut price deal for Kante would be ideal. Aubemayang would, most likely, be available for a small fee, too.

Along with the Chelsea duo, Xavi is also looking to bring in Liverpool icon Roberto Firmino on a free transfer.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Chelsea can tie Kante down to a new contract before the end of the season.

If they don’t, there’s a good chance he could be joining Aubameyang at the Camp Nou next term.

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