How PSG could line up with N'Golo Kante
Stuart Telford
- Updated: 6 Oct 2022 06:08 CDT
- 3 min read
N'Golo Kante's Chelsea contract expires next summer, and PSG have emerged as favourites to sign the French World Cup winner. How would they look with Kante in the team?
Kante has been one of the best central midfielders in the world for a many years now, a Premier League winner with Leicester and Chelsea whose work rate saw him affectionately referred to as the "Kante twins."
But recent seasons have been less kind to the 31-year-old in terms of injury, and Chelsea are reportedly reluctant to give him a four-year contract. That could see Paris Saint Germain capitalise. How would they line up with Kante?
Christophe Galtier has instituted a 3-4-2-1 system since he succeeded Maurico Pochettino as head coach this summer - a significant departure from the 4-4-2 he won Ligue 1 with Lille with in 2021, but a system that has got the best out of the 'MNM' front three of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi.
Neymar has shone brightest this season with 11 goals and nine assists from just 13 games in all competitions, but Mbappe is going nowhere soon having spurned Real Madrid to sign a bumper three-year deal in May.
Poor Vitinha…
Whether Kante would have Messi lining up in front of him remains to be seen, with the Argenine consistently linked with a Barcelona return, but what does seem certain is that he would take one of the two central midfield spots from Marco Verratti and Vitinha. With Verratti untouchable at the Parc des Princes, new man Vitinha might have to make way.
Often misdiagnosed as a defensive midfielder, Kante has averaged seven progressive carries per game when he has played for Chelsea over the last year, as well as three shot-creating actions per 90 minutes. His style would complement Verratti's metronomic, ball-playing one.
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Further back, the three-man defence has meant that Sergio Ramos has also been effectively accommodated by Galtier, while Gigi Donnarumma is now unquestionably the No.1 goalkeeper, no longer sharing playing time with Keylor Navas.
Kante was well-accustomed to such a formation at Chelsea, with Thomas Tuchel using something similar in winning the Champions League and Club World Cup over the last couple of seasons, and the Frenchman could be the perfect addition for PSG... if he can stay fit.
