Barcelona could be dealt a huge blow as midfield target N’Golo Kante is currently in talks with Chelsea over a new contract, reports transfer market specialist Fabrizio Romano.
Kante, 31, sees his current Chelsea contract expiring at the end of the season. The Frenchman, who has played just two league games this season, recently returned to training as he was seen warming up with the Chelsea squad before heading into an individual training drill.
While Kante’s expected date of return is still unknown, Romano has confirmed that new contract talks are continuing between the parties.
The news comes as a bit of a blow for Barcelona as the Blaugrana were reportedly eyeing a Bosman move for the Frenchman. The only reason why they were waiting to make an official approach was because of his injury.
The Frenchman, who has barely featured for the team owing to a hamstring problem, is expected to return to competitive football in the coming weeks.
Hence, Barcelona’s point of view was to see how the former Leicester City man manages to cope with the physical demand after such a gruelling injury. As it turns out, however, the team from Catalonia might now be forced to look somewhere else as Kante is in talks with Chelsea.
In all fairness, Barcelona’s urge to sign a new midfielder comes on the back of Sergio Busquets’ potential departure at the end of the season. The veteran midfielder is expected to move to the MLS once his contract expires in June 2023.
And if that is done, the team will be forced to fill a huge void and in that regard, a certain Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad is said to be topping the list. But, given the club’s financial situation, someone like Kante is seen as a cost-effective option due to his availability for free.
Whether a move materialises will be dictated by how his talks with Chelsea progress.
