Why Chelsea must laugh off Barcelona’s idea of swapping Gomes for Kante
Chelsea have a busy summer ahead, with the club having to clear out a number of issues before the start of the new season. Manager Antonio Conte has been sacked and Sarri has been appointed as the new coach.
One of Sarri’s biggest tasks will be to hold onto the Blues’ best players, as a number of them have been linked with other clubs in Europe, the latest one being N’Golo Kante. Kante is a reincarnation of Claude Makelele from back in the days. He’s a tough-tackling midfielder, who is often praised for his relentless running on and off the ball.
Barcelona are reportedly interested in prizing away the star from Stamford Bridge, as the Catalans aim to replace their departed icon Andres Iniesta. The Spanish champions have already signed Arthur to replace Brazilian midfielder Paulinho, who returned to Chines outfit Guangzhou Evergrande.
Barcelona were initially linked with PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot who was said to be Valverde’s top target but new reports suggest that the manager has turned to Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante. The Catalan club are said to be offering Portuguese flop Andre Gomes to the Blues in order to facilitate a swap deal between the two clubs.
But Chelsea are shrewd negotiators. They are smart enough to know that Andre Gomes is not good enough to replace their French gem in the middle of the park. In fact, at this moment, there’s probably no one who is capable of replicating the performances of the former Leicester City midfielder.
Kante has already won the Premier League twice, with two different clubs, while also claiming the PFA Player of the year award in Chelsea’s title-winning campaign. He has been sensational since his arrival from the Foxes, with his commitment and perseverance often on display.
He’s a hard worker on and off the ball, which is one of his most respectable qualities. It’s very difficult, almost impossible, to find another player like him. Kante made a total of 34 appearances in the Premier League last season, scoring 1 goal and providing 1 assist. The midfielder averaged 3.3 tackles and 2.5 interceptions per game last season, one of the highest in the Premier League. He also boasted 3.7 tackles and 2.5 interceptions in the Champions League.
While Kante is always going to be linked with one club or the other, Chelsea are going to have to do everything to hold onto their prized midfielder. Barcelona are not the easiest of clubs to turn down but Roman Abramovich certainly possesses the kind of power required to keep hold of the player. It makes no sense for Chelsea to sell one of their best players and replace him with a Barcelona reject.
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