JUST IN! Barcelona closing in on January deal for Chelsea star who was linked to Arsenal
N’Golo Kante, a midfielder for Chelsea, is reportedly close to signing a pre-contract deal with Barcelona, according to rumors.
Kante, who was rumored to be moving to Arsenal in the summer, has a contract that expires in June, so if he can work out a deal with a foreign club in January, he will be free to leave at the end of the current campaign.
Kante moved to the Premier League in 2015, joining Leicester City from the French club Caen. At 5000/1 odds, Kante helped the Foxes win the league.
He was hired by Chelsea a year later as a result, where he won the FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League, Super Cup, and Club World Cup in addition to his second Premier League championship.
After just one season with Chelsea, he won the Premier League Player of the Season award, and in his second season, he was voted the club’s Player of the Year.
As the Blues won the European championship under Thomas Tuchel, Kante was also named the 2020–21 Champions League Midfielder of the Season.
Emmanuel Petit, a former player for both Arsenal and Chelsea, had encouraged the 2018 World Cup winner to sign with the club in January.
Additionally, Brad Friedel urged Liverpool to try to sign Kante for nothing.
However, according to the Daily Mail, a deal with Barcelona is reportedly imminent, which suggests that the 31-year-old France international’s time in England may be drawing to a conclusion.
Kante, who has made a total of 262 appearances for Chelsea, is regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of his time, but over the past 18 months, he has fought mightily with injuries and has seldom played.
He will reunite with former Chelsea stars Andreas Christensen and Marcos Alonso if he signs with the Catalan club.