Manchester United have been linked with an ambitious bid for Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante.
The midfielder only has 12 months left on his deal and those at Stamford Bridge have been unable to sit down with him to extend his stay since March due to former owner Roman Abramovich being placed under sanctions. United are set to enquire about his transfer availability this summer, reports claim.
Erik ten Hag is searching for midfielders with four set to depart Old Trafford next month, including Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba . The acquisition of Kante would be an outrageous coup and a statement signing from the Dutchman.
READ MORE: Manchester United stance on summer transfer targets and Erik ten Hag playing style
Not only has he been hailed as one of the Premier League greats, he has the silverware to back it up. He has two Premier League titles, a Champions League, a Europa League, a Club World Cup and a Super Cup in his cabinet.
And that’s not mentioning the World Cup he won with France in 2018. But while his arrival would categorically bring endless benefits, it’s not to say there would be no drawbacks.
His injury record has brought concern to Thomas Tuchel since he began his tenure at Chelsea. Kante is the lynchpin of every side he plays in and when he is not there, which recently has been more often than is comfortable, the team suffers.
He missed 12 games this campaign due to injury, excluding the four he sat out due to positive COVID-19 tests. Over the last three seasons, Kante has experienced 14 separate injuries.
Some may argue that this is down his relentless running mentality, something he has been lauded for since his Premier League rise. Speaking after Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Leicester last week, Tuchel laid out his worries.
“It’s hard to live with because it’s important for him to be there and to have the rhythm,” he said. “He constantly starts getting rhythm and once he has rhythm he gets a little injury and he’s out again.
“This guy who gets man of the match in every Champions League game is only here for 40-something per cent of games, this is huge for us. We’ll do everything to solve it. I don’t blame him but it’s a concern.”
He added: “We miss him a lot because he brings something that is unique in world football, he has that ability to lift everybody up and make the difference and this is the challenge for him and for us.”
It is undeniable that Kante would bolster United ’s top four chances immensely and his injury record might not be enough to put them off an approach, however unlikely a switch may be. But going by Tuchel's comments, Ten Hag ’s intention of bringing in more than one midfielder is, not only justifiable but imperative should a transfer somehow be pulled off.
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