After a title-winning campaign in Spain, Barcelona will now look to go further in the Champions League as well next season as Ernesto Valverde looks to improve the quality in his squad this summer. The Catalans have one of the strongest teams in Europe but there are certain roles in the first team that could do with some upgrades.
One such player, Valverde wants for his midfield is N Golo Kante.
Born and brought up in Paris, the French international first moved to England with Leicester City in 2015. In his first and only season at King Power, he made 37 league appearances, helping the Foxes to the English league title.
He was snapped up by Chelsea the next season, and in Antonio Conte’s first season, Kante once again won the Premier League title, this time being named the PFA Player of the Year. In just his three years in the English top flight, Kante has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe and has been crucial in France’s run to the finals of the World Cup in Russia.
A workhorse in the middle of the park, Kante covers every inch of grass outside his box, making tackles galore, and winning the ball back for his team quickly. He is not the smartest in possession of the ball but is more than capable of setting his team up on counter attacks. He is strong in hold up play and rarely loses the ball but it his defensive discipline that makes him a real asset.
His ‘never give up’ attitude and his energy add a different dimension to this Barcelona midfield and reports suggest that the Catalan giants are readying an offer Chelsea cannot refuse, for Kante this summer.
It is understood that Barcelona are ready to offer Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes as a part of the deal to try and land Kante. Chelsea will get Gomes plus cash for Kante and could be willing to let him go, especially after they have signed Jorginho from Napoli.
The Italian midfielder plays in a similar role as Kante and having both of them in the side will make Chelsea a bit too defensive. The Blues will not want to lose their prized possession but can afford to let him go if the right offer arrives.
Gomes brings different attributes to Stamford Bridge and has the potential to be a match winner so losing Kante to Barcelona in this deal, might not be the end of the world for Chelsea.
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It will be interesting to see how Valverde uses Sergio Busquets and Kante in his time but at the moment, signing one of the best CDMs in the world at the moment, makes a lot of sense for Barcelona.
