According to a recent report by the Daily Express, Chelsea will have their hands full this summer as they face an uphill battle to keep N’golo Kante at Stamford Bridge with Real Madrid interested in securing his services at the end of this campaign. The same source has revealed that the Galacticos are not only eyeing a move for Eden Hazard but could also attempt to recruit Kante in this off-season as Zinedine Zidane is planning a massive summer overhaul of his squad.
Kante’s Recent Struggles At Stamford Bridge
Maurizio Sarri has often played the French midfielder out of position with Jorginho his primary choice to operate as a holding midfielder. Kante has been forced to reinvent his game and change his playing style from a defensive midfielder to assuming a more box to box role at the centre of the park.
Hence, it is no surprise that the French international is still struggling to adapt to his new responsibilities which have also hampered Chelsea’s chances of having a more successful season under Sarri. Kante has scored just five goals and created four assists in 51 appearances for the Pensioners this term across multiple competitions. His numbers this season are not good enough for a box to box midfielder who is representing a side with top 4 ambitions.
However, when Kante is deployed in a defensive midfield role, his impact on the pitch increases exponentially as he is still one of the greats of football in his natural position. He has previously won the Premier League twice with Leicester City and Chelsea while operating as a holding midfielder.
How Can The Pensioners Keep Hold Of Their French Midfield Ace?
Kante also won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France in Russia last summer when Didier Deschamps used him in the holding midfield position. Hence, Sarri needs to be less stubborn and use the French workhorse more effectively if he wants to retain his services in the long-run.
Why Sarri Cannot Risk Losing Kante This Summer
Madrid’s interest could spell danger for the West London giants as they are currently facing the possibility of being banned from signing players for the next two transfer windows by FIFA. Thus, Sarri cannot afford to lose a player of Kante’s quality especially when they already face an uphill battle to keep Eden Hazard at Stamford Bridge beyond this summer.
The London outfit are better of using Kante in one of the holding midfield positions alongside Jorginho so that they can get the best out of both players in the upcoming campaign.
