Chelsea News: There is growing concern that N’Golo Kante could leave Chelsea as a free agent at the end of the current campaign. The two sides have yet to agree on the terms of a new deal.
The 31-year-old had requested a three-year contract with a one-year extension option. However, as The Athletic reported, the club’s new decision-makers recently proposed a two-year deal with a one-year extension option.
Chelsea has a tradition of not giving players more than 30 long contracts. Winger Willian left the club two years ago after a similar dispute.
However, when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 33, was acquired from Barcelona on deadline day, he was given a three-year contract. While central defender Kalidou Koulibaly, 31, signed a four-year contract when he arrived from Napoli.
Chelsea News: Kante’s injuries are a hurdle
Thomas Tuchel, who was fired as head coach last week, claimed that Kante’s injury problems had become a problem. He has endured discomfort since the 2019-20 season, with 18 separate issues causing him to lose time.
Due to groin and knee infections and two separate coronaviruses, Kante missed 16 games last season. He was unvaccinated, so he was unable to travel with the team on their preseason tour of the United States.
He was sent off late in a 2–2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on 14 August due to a muscle injury.
What did Tuchel say?
When asked about Kante’s new contract last month, Tuchel replied: “No, you can’t [ignore his injury history]. “You have to take into account everything that is available, including its quality, influence and potential.
The player’s age, income and injury rate are also, of course, factors to consider when trying to find a solution.
Tuchel noted that the midfielder’s frequent absences hampered his efforts to capture the Premier League championship considerably.
The crucial question is “maybe not,” he continued, “[we can’t win the title].” “But we tried. It’s much more challenging because you can see his influence on the goals we concede, the number of goals, the number of points we have, the number of goals we concede and the number of goals he scores.
Wednesday night’s Champions League game between Chelsea and Salzburg will be Graham Potter’s first game in charge of the team. However, Sunday’s Premier League match against Liverpool is in doubt due to concerns about police resources ahead of the Queen’s funeral next Monday.
