N'Golo Kante has been told to consider retiring from football if he can't recover from his run of consistent injuries. The Chelsea star hasn't played since the second game of the season in August when he was substituted off against Tottenham with a hamstring knock in the second half.
That injury kept him out for over six weeks before he returned to training, by which time Graham Potter was in charge, only for the manager to have more bad news. The Frenchman then sustained another injury and had to have surgery on his hamstring, keeping him out for at least four months.
The 31-year-old missed the World Cup - which is now likely to have been his last chance to win the tournament again - and will need further time and patience to get back to match fitness. Amongst this his contract expires in June 2023 and he is able to negotiate a pre-contract with other clubs in January.
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Given his recent injury record, renewing his deal is less than simple. Kante is one of the top earners at the club but plays such a small percentage of minutes that having him tied down to a contract doesn't make business sense. He is also being usurped now by younger models as Todd Boehly looks towards a team of players 24 and under.
Although interest in Kante will be high due to the standards of performance he can provide when fit, it looks increasingly likely that his future won't be at Stamford Bridge, and former Blues defender Frank Leboeuf has admitted that it might be time to consider moving on from football.
Speaking to Safe Betting Sites, Leboeuf said, “I haven’t spoken to Kante directly about his fitness and how he feels but it could be that he’s nearing the end of it [his career]. Because the thing is we have to understand that we are talking about a human being. Suddenly your body says okay, enough, leave me alone. The end of your career is also a part of your career, and you have to choose the right time to give up. Even if you don't want to and even if your football is great and you want to carry on.
“You have to give envy to people and not pity. So you have to make a decision in your own mind [regarding retirement]. You have to talk to your family and say maybe okay, it's over. So I don't know his shape but if he feels that he can serve Chelsea well then he should stay.”
Barcelona are one of the sides said to be interested in bringing Kante in, whilst Paris Saint-Germain have been long-term admirers of the two time Premier League winner, Champions League winner and 2018 World Cup champion. The decision as to what happens in the coming months may well now be out of Kante's hands, with new technical director Christopher Vivell in place to manage footballing choices at the club, and Kante's situation may be one of the first tasks at hand.
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