The incredible reason Chelsea will struggle to sell N'Golo Kante
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 9 Jul 2022 20:08 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea could find major problems in finding a club for midfielder N’Golo Kante this summer, despite the France international star having just a year left on his contract.
While there is no guarantee that Chelsea will allow Kante to move, it is a suggestion that has been touted. At 31 years old and playing the physically intense style that he does, there is an expectation that at some point his level will begin to slide.
Even if the Blues decide to sell up, though, they could face an unusual barrier to offloading a player who has been regarded as a defining figure for modern defensive midfielders. Indeed, it is the same reason he is not on the club’s pre-season tour of the USA.
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Kante does not have a Covid-19 vaccination, and according to a report in The Telegraph, this poses a major difficulty in selling him. It is stated that clubs are having huge difficulties in selling non-vaccinated players.
Indeed, the report quotes one anonymous source as explaining that when it is discovered a transfer target is not vaccinated “the phone calls stop immediately”.
It goes on to state that the viewpoint among clubs is typically that unvaccinated players are “too much trouble to accommodate – especially if infections continue to climb”.
While this naturally makes the player more susceptible to contracting Covid-19 – and there have been a handful of players who have missed extended periods after picking up the virus – it can also cause logistical issues. It is possible, for example, that unvaccinated players will not be able to travel with their team-mates around Europe.
Why is N’Golo Kante unvaccinated
It is unclear why Kante is unvaccinated, though it may well be for religious reasons, and he already feeling the effects of this. He will miss the club’s pre-season tour of the USA, which takes in matches against Club America, Charlotte and Arsenal and the longer-term ramifications for him could be profound.
Of course, this is a personal setback in terms of fighting for a place in Thomas Tuchel’s plans at Chelsea this summer, but it also reduces his options when it comes to finding a potential new club.
