Kante the favourite to replace Busquets at Barcelona

FT Desk

• 28 Oct 2022 15:15 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea and France midfielder N'Golo Kante has emerged as the first choice to replace Sergio Busquets at Barcelona.

Busquets has been a loyal club servant for Barca, winning 30 major honours since breaking into the first team in 2008, but he turns 35 this summer, at which time his contract at Camp Nou will be up.

Kante is also out of contract at Chelsea, and this fact appeals to the cash-strapped club, who also signed Andres Christensen and Marcos Alonso on frees from the Blues during the more recent summer transfer window.

"[Barcelona sporting director] Mateu Alemany said less than a month ago that 'increasingly we have to focus on the free transfer market'," report Albert Roger and Toni Juanmarti of Barca specialists, Relevo.

Read: Chelsea's five options to replace Kante

"On that list, N'Golo Kante, the Chelsea midfielder, occupies one of the highest places. Barca's team is well aware of the Frenchman, who is currently injured, because he meets the technical specifications demanded by the club and could arrive for free in June."

Kante also boasts a slightly different profile to Busquets, a ball-carrying player whose style is more befitting of a modern No. 6 than the Spaniard's.

Kant afford it

Barca have also been linked with a move for Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, and the Portuguese recently made a public proclamation that a move to Barca would be a 'dream for any player,' but the 25-year-old is likely to cost around €25m.

READ: Would Ruben Neves really help Barcelona?

Barcelona's recent group stage exit from the Champions League means their financial belt strings are tighter than had been hoped this season, so a move for Kante makes more sense off the pitch, if not on it.

Barca will have to monitor Kante's fitness, though. The 31-year-old is likely to miss France's World Cup defence in Qatar this winter due to a hamstring injury.