As Arsenal seem set to wrap up a deal for Jamie Vardy, another of his Leicester teammates is set to leave the club. N’Golo Kante had an incredible season for the Foxes and his performances in midfield have won him many admirers, and Chelsea are said to be one of the clubs who wants to sign the 25-year-old star and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the deal is wrapped up before the end of Euro 2016.
Kante was the unsung hero for most of the campaign, while Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy won plaudits for their attacking performances, it was Kante who kept the team ticking along and disrupting the opposition with his timely interceptions and tackles.
The French international is part of the squad for the upcoming Euros and it would be fair to say that Kante would play a major role for a French team that is filled with talent.
Antonio Conte might not know much about English football but there should not be any doubts about the quality of the 25-year-old Leicester City defensive midfielder. Kante played 37 games for the Foxes in the Premier League campaign and averaged 4.7 tackles and 4.2 interceptions per game, which is an incredible stat.
Compare this with Chelsea’s best defensive midfielder in Nemanja Matic and you can see the difference. Granted that most of the Chelsea players had a poor season last time around but Matic was one of the players who had a really horrendous campaign.
The Serbian averaged just 1.4 interceptions per game, though his tackling was miles better with 3.8 in the Premier League but Matic is 27-years-old and didn’t have the best of times at the club. There are rumours that he might be on his way out as well with Radja Nainggolan coming in to do the defensive midfield duties but the Belgian is more of a box-to-box player and he would bring a different dynamic to the Chelsea team should he join the club.
Kante is one of the best in the Premier League at the moment and if any club has a chance to sign him they should. He is an endless runner and probably does fit the mould that Antonio Conte looks for in a player. Kante also is comfortable on the ball and although he might start attacks or finish them, he can play the ball out from midfield and help the team out in tricky situations.
Spending a ton of money and bringing in someone who hasn’t tasted English football might not be the smartest thing to do for Conte but having a readymade option in Kante does make a lot of sense. No matter what the price, Chelsea should try and sign the French star, who could well protect Chelsea’s back four for a long time.