Report: Chelsea increasingly confident of new Kanté deal
Published
Could N'Golo Kanté be sticking around Stamford Bridge after this season?
The Athletic's David Ornstein reports Chelsea is increasingly confident that the France midfielder will sign a new deal with the team.
Kanté, 31, is set to be out of contract at season's end and is free to agree to a pre-contract deal with clubs abroad as of January 1. He is expected to draw significant interest across Europe, as well as within England.
The Paris native has only made two appearances for the club this season with a hamstring injury and missed out on the World Cup.
While he initially balked at agreeing to a new deal, Ornstein notes headway has been made with length remaining a sticking point. The team had offered two years plus an option in September, while the player was looking for something longer term.
Kanté originally joined the Blues from Leicester City in the summer of 2016 in a £32 million move fresh off of helping lead the Foxes to a shock Premier League title.
In his seven seasons with Chelsea, Kanté has made 185 league appearances and scored 11 goals. With the team, Kanté has won a Premier League title, FA Cup, Europa League and the 2021 Champions League title. He was named the Premier League Player of the Season for 2016-2017.
Internationally, Kanté has been capped 53 times by Les Bleus and was a member of their 2018 World Cup-winning squad.
Ornstein notes that Chelsea will look to strengthen its midfield in the January window and in the summer regardless of Kanté's situation with Borussia Dortmund's England international Jude Bellingham and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez of Benfica among the players being discussed.