Chelsea and star midfielder N’Golo Kante have seen talks break down over a new contract, according to journalist Robin Bairner.

Kante is eager to commit his long-term future to the Blues following a largely successful six-and-a-half-year stint at the club, but negotiations have reached an impasse at this moment in time.

What is the latest news involving Kante?

It’s believed that the main sticking point preventing the World Cup-winning star from putting pen to paper on fresh terms is the length of the contract currently on the table.

David Ornstein of The Athletic previously reported that Kante has asked for a three-year deal with the option to extend his stay by a further 12 months.

However, the Chelsea hierarchy have only offered the 31-year-old fresh terms consisting of two years with a one-year option, while his current £290,000-per-week deal is due to expire next summer.

A new long-term injury picked up by Kante since those claims will surely not have helped his cause during the talks either, meaning a compromise on the player’s half may be required for an agreement to be reached.

What has Bairner said about Kante?

Bairner has informed GiveMeSport that his ‘understanding of the situation’ is the same as what has been largely reported already, although he did state that ‘Barcelona are interested’ in Kante.  

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He said: “My understanding of the situation at the moment doesn't vary from a lot of sources to be honest. Talks have broken down in terms of the length of contract being a sticking point.

“We've heard that Barcelona are interested in Kante. I don't think that would necessarily be a good move for either side, I think he'd be better off staying at Chelsea for the time being.”

Who could replace Kante?

Transfer insider Dean Jones has informed GMS that both Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham and West Ham United’s Declan Rice are on Chelsea’s radar.

And James Pearce of The Athletic has also disclosed that the capital club are among Bellingham’s list of suitors while Sky Sports have claimed that they are interested in prising Rice away from the London Stadium.

Both of the England stars have been tipped to move away from their respective clubs next summer by several sources and at least one could replace Kante in west London.

Only time will tell who Chelsea target if Kante is allowed to exit on a free transfer, while new manager Graham Potter will be eager to stamp his authority over the first-team squad.