Time for Chelsea to let Kante go as Juventus and Inter hover

Robin Bairner

• 17 Nov 2022 15:00 GMT
• 3 min read

It’s been a great relationship, but it’s finally time for Chelsea to part company with N’Golo Kante.

The 31-year-old France international’s contract is up at the end of the season, and according to La Repubblica, there is interest in him from Serie A. Juventus and Inter both want the defensive midfielder, who has defined his role since exploding at Leicester during the 2015/16 season after making a €9 million move from Caen.

His decision to join the Foxes instead of Marseille was a defining moment in his career, and perhaps even that of the Premier League, but his era at the top of the game in England is over.

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Chelsea heading into a new era

Todd Boehly is seeking a youthful side, and while there must be room for experience in their ranks, Kante is the type of player who could become a burden, despite his immense professionalism.

Physicality has been the name of his game for much of his career. He has been known for his speed, industry and unflinching stamina, and though the technical side of his game has at times been unfairly overlooked, he remains a player reliant on his body.

The evidence is that is failing. Injury issues have started to become more frequent and he is absent from France’s 2022 World Cup squad as a result of a hamstring problem that has plagued him since the middle of August. Last season, groin and knee issues contributed towards him missing 16 games.

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It is an increasingly unsustainable number and history suggests there is unlikely to be a reversal of this trend.

Kante, meanwhile, wants a multi-year contract to give him stability, while Chelsea are refusing to move from their stance of a possible one-season extension. To buckle to his request would be to take a needless gamble.

To see one of the most likeable players in the modern game depart will be tough, but Boehly is a shrewd businessman and will see it is the correct call.

Perhaps in the slower paced Serie A, Kante can keep his legacy going, but at Chelsea, it seems improbable.