Chelsea may have to sell N’Golo Kante this summer, according to The Sun.
Manager Frank Lampard, the report claims, is operating on a one-in-one-out basis, with new signing Hakim Ziyech already secured and RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner set to follow.
They will take the places of Willian and Pedro, whose contracts are set to expire, but there is interest in Kai Havertz too, of Bayer Leverkusen, and there may have to be departures to fund it.
The Sun claims that PSG are interested in signing Kante, who is 29 and has a contract that expires in 2023, and that a deal could well be struck in the coming transfer window.
Elsewhere, Juventus could well swoop for Jorginho, with former Blues boss Maurizio Sarri interested.
It is also noted that any deal for Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell will only happen if Marcos Alonso or Emerson leave.
Kante, though, would surely be the most high-profile departure, having made 123 appearances for the club since his arrival in the 2016/17 season.
GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…
This would be a shock.
Kante has been integral to the way Chelsea have played since his arrival from Leicester and he played a key role in helping the club win the Premier League title the season following his transfer. He subsequently won the title twice in two seasons with two different clubs.
That pretty much sums it up; the France international has been exceptional during his time at Stamford Bridge and one has to believe that this would not just be shocking, but also massively risky.
Moving him on, plus Jorginho, means that there is a dearth of natural holding midfielders in the squad, with both Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Billy Gilmour – mentioned by The Sun as being emerging players – more progressive midfielders.
Of course, it may be that Lampard really wants to build a team that can outscore his rivals and bringing in players like Ziyech, Werner, and Havertz would surely help with that.
If Kante goes, though, it remains to be seen if they will be able to stop the goals going in at the other end.