Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante is reportedly closing in on an agreement that will see the France midfielder remain at Stamford Bridge beyond this summer.
The defensive midfielder has been a big hit in London when he moved from Leicester City in 2016, shortly after helping the Foxes win the Premier League title. He also helped Chelsea to win the UEFA Champions League title under Thomas Tuchel in 2021, producing a Man-of-the-Match performance in two semi-final legs over Real Madrid.
However, injuries have limited his involvement with Chelsea this season, leading to speculations that the Blues will allow him to leave when his contract expires this summer. But that doesn’t seem to be the case, as Chelsea are happy to keep the player beyond this summer.
Read more: Julian Nagelsmann could land Tottenham job after Bayern Munich sacking
They have opened contract talks with his entourage and are reportedly close to an agreement. According to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, contract discussions are reportedly in their ‘final stages’, with the French World Cup-winning midfielder expected to commit his future to the club. The deal is expected to keep Kante at Stamford Bridge for at least two seasons, with an option for a third year also discussed.
“N’Golo Kanté was back on the pitch for a friendly game earlier this week… and the negotiations over a new contract are still ongoing and progressing well to final stages”, Romano tweeted.
“Discussions on last details as a new deal could be valid for the next two years plus one season club option,” he added.
Romano also claimed that Kante’s positive feelings toward Chelsea were a crucial factor in the negotiation, with the midfielder also keen to stay in west London.
The 31-year-old was attracting interest from Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. Reports also linked him to Bayern Munich, where former boss Thomas Tuchel has just taken over.
But he will remain at Stamford Bridge, where he will hope to regain the trust of manager Graham Potter having not played a competitive game for the Englishman since his arrival early in the season. The midfielder has been injured since August and has not featured in any game for Chelsea since then. But he was an unused sub last time out when Chelsea played Everton at Stamford Bridge, while he stepped up his fitness by playing one hour in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Charlton last week.
