Real Madrid are reportedly considering a move to sign Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by London Evening Standard, Zinedine Zidane has set his sights towards Chelsea, but this time it is not just for Eden Hazard. The newly reappointed Real Madrid manager is keen on signing French midfielder N’Golo Kante in the summer transfer window.
Kante has been one of the best imports into the Premier League over the last half-a-decade, having first impressed to no end at Leicester City during their shock Premier League title triumph in the 2015-16 season. He subsequently joined Chelsea in the summer of 2016 and made an instant impact yet again.
In his first season at Stamford Bridge, Kante inspired the Blues to the summit of English football and was also named as the Player of the Year in 2017. Since then, the Frenchman has continued performing at high levels, even when played out of position by Maurizio Sarri this season. But, his future could be away from Chelsea, with Real Madrid showing an interest in him.
Changes are in effect at the Bernabeu, with Santiago Solari being sacked after a poor run of results and immediately replaced by Zinedine Zidane earlier this week. Upon returning to Real Madrid after just a nine-month hiatus, the Frenchman is eager to make sweeping changes to the squad he has inherited.
One of these changes will be in midfield, with Chelsea superstar Kante being a priority. Zidane does have two top class defensive midfielders, with Marcos Llorente stepping up well this season. But, Casemiro has blown hot and cold, while Luka Modric and Toni Kroos have failed to contribute defensively at all, which has often seen Real Madrid being overrun in midfield.
With Kante showing that he can make a consistent impact while playing in an advanced role, the Spanish club could have a top class recruitment in the Chelsea midfielder, seeing as he has also proven to provide a threat in the final third. But, there are a couple of complications in Real Madrid’s pursuit of the French international.
The La Liga heavyweights are hesitant in matching the 27-year-old’s £290,000-a-week wages, which the player earns after signing a renewal with Chelsea earlier this season. Additionally, the Blues will be reluctant to part ways with their best players, and not just for the obvious reasons.
That Chelsea have been slapped with a two-window transfer ban for breaching FIFA rules over signing youth players puts them in a predicament as they will be unable to beef up their squad in the summer, as things stand. Real Madrid thus, face an uphill task to convince the West Londoners to sell their star midfielder.
So, while N’Golo Kante does appear to be a viable target for Real Madrid to pursue, it remains to be seen if they can land him in the summer transfer window. The move will also largely hinge on whether or not he wants to depart from Stamford Bridge, and it will be interesting to see how this transfer saga develops in the weeks to come.
