Chelsea will be welcoming Antonio Conte to Stamford Bridge after the conclusion of the ongoing Euro 2016. He will be coming into the side that recorded the worst title defense in Premier League history last season, therefore a lot of work needs to be done before the next campaign starts. The task of motivating the players, who looked so lost last season will not be an easy one. Conte has had an excellent managerial career till now but his biggest task awaits him this summer. He will need to bring in reinforcement to plug all the gaps that started appearing from Jose Mourinho’s time, eventually resulting in the sacking of the Portuguese.
Conte won’t have the pressure of Champions League football next year, which might actually allow him to focus completely on the domestic campaign and getting Chelsea back in the top four. Getting players in will not be easy, especially given that every other club is also looking to spend big this summer and no European football too offer. Although that hasn’t stopped players being linked to the Blues, one of them is Leicester City’s beast N’Golo Kante.
When Kante moved to Leicester last summer, he couldn’t have imagined that in the next 10 months, he was going to be a Premier League winner, a key player in France’s bid to win the Euro 2016 and one of the sought after players in Europe. The 25-year-old Frenchman was an absolute wall during Leicester’s Premier League triumph and his solidity was one of the reasons why Leicester could play that counter attacking football so brilliantly last season. Here we bring you 2 pros and 2 cons of Chelsea’s move for Kante.
Pros
Stability
Last season Chelsea were completely porous at the back, which allowed oppositions to score at will. In particular the form of Nemanja Matic was a big concern as he went from being one of the signings of the 2014-2015 season to being seen as the weakest spot in the Chelsea team. Kante will provide that energy in the centre, which has been missing since the departure of the Ramires. Kante loves to go up front and join the attacks, without ever forgetting his defensive duties, something Chelsea direly need right now.
Current Form
As we mentioned earlier, Kante has had the best one year of his playing career since moving to Leicester in 2015. There aren’t many midfielder except maybe Payet, who are in more form than Kante. Conte needs a powerhouse in the midfield of the pitch, who can lift the team up with his energy and dedication, something which Kante has in abundance.
Cons
Pressure and expectation
There is no doubt that a move to Chelsea will be a major stepping stone in Kante’s career but playing for a big club, brings with it enormous pressure, something which Kante didn’t have to face at Leicester City. Expectations regarding his abilities have soared through the roof over the past few months and the Blues fans will be anxious to see if he can carry on the same trajectory at the Bridge.
First team action
Kante might be the talk of the town around Europe right now but if he decides to join Chelsea this summer, he won’t be guaranteed a starting XI birth week in week out, Matic though struggled last season, is still one of the most dependable defensive midfielders around the world. Fabregas will also be contention. Therefore Kante might have to get used to sitting on the bench at times, something he didn’t have to deal with at Leicester.