According to Sky sources, Barcelona are keen to sign N’Golo Kante this summer. The Chelsea midfielder has been identified as a top target for the Spanish giants, who are willing to offer Andre Gomes in a player-plus-cash deal.
Gomes, who failed to make an impression after moving from Valencia in 2016, will be allowed to leave the club this summer.
It is understood that the Catalan powerhouse have already proposed an offer to Chelsea and are awaiting a response.
The West-London giants, however, are reluctant to lose any of their prized assets this summer with Eden Hazard already linked with a move out of Stamford Bridge.
That being said, Barcelona are ready to go all out for another midfielder this summer following the retirement of Andres Iniesta. The former Spanish international called an end to his illustrious career at the end of last season, leaving Blaugrana a bit shallow in that area of the pitch. In addition, Brazilian star Paulinho also made a shock exit from Nou Camp earlier this week, re-joining his former club Guangzhou Evergrande.
Therefore, the addition of a top-class midfielder could be imperative for the reigning La Liga champions and head coach Ernesto Valverde believes Kante has the quality to revitalize Barcelona’s midfield next season.
However, the departure of N’Golo Kante could be a huge blow for Chelsea, who have fared quite poorly after bagging the Premier League title in the 2016/17 season. Last season, the Frenchman was the only bright spark in an otherwise dire season for Chelsea.
Additionally, the former Leicester City midfielder has played a key role in France’s excellent World Cup campaign which saw them easily book the tickets for the final against Croatia.
Furthermore, considering the fact that the Blues have finally managed to sort out their managerial troubles by announcing Maurizio Sarri as the new head coach, they should definitely try to hold onto their star midfielder this summer.
The Italian mastermind is known for his revolutionary tactics which has transformed a bunch of fringe players into world-class individuals in the past few seasons. And the former Napoli coach will undoubtedly be delighted to have someone like Kante at his disposal.
His ability to instigate the midfield with some excellent passing and aggression could help Chelsea dominate the midfield under Sarri’s possession-based football. But what makes him such a sought-after talent is his ability to intercept passes and prevent counter attacks at a uniform level throughout the 90 minutes, which is a priceless commodity in today’s market.