With 12 months remaining on his Chelsea contract N'Golo Kante has been linked with a transfer away from the club this summer after six years with the Blues.
Kante has been an integral part of Chelsea's first team squad since his move from Leicester City in 2016, following his pivotal role in the Foxes' incredible Premier League winning season. Since the move to Stamford Bridge, the Frenchman has won the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Super League, FIFA Club World Cup and the FA Cup.
But the Frenchman has struggled with injuries over the last few seasons, and now with just one year remaining on his current deal with Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel's side may be open to selling their engine in midfield. Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are the two clubs linked with Kante, with Todo Fichajes reporting a deal between Arsenal and Kante could be completed in the next few days.
READ MORE: Joe Cole proven right on Todd Boehly claim as Chelsea close in on Kalidou Koulibaly transfer
So, if Kante was to leave the Blues in the summer, what sort of impact could that have on Tuchel's side? We simulated the 2022/23 season without N'Golo Kante at Chelsea and this is what happened.
We 'sold' N'Golo Kante for Chelsea next season
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for the French international to join Arsenal side at the start of the summer transfer window, using FM22 to run the simulation. Along with Kante leaving, we transferred Raheem Sterling and Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly to the Blues.
Without Kante in the squad, it opened the door for fringe players to earn more game time with the Blues. Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour both found themselves in the squad lots throughout the season, with Gallagher seemingly taking his chances better than Gilmour.
Gallagher scored and assisted seven times whilst picking up the player of the match award five times in 55 appearances, with 31 of those starts. In the cups, Gallagher was always picked, with his main partner in the league being Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic.
Jorginho flourished without Kante in the side, playing in a more advanced role alongside Kovacic as he grabbed 17 assists, made the most appearances, won the most player of the match awards and averaged the highest rating. Kovacic played a deeper role, and the midfielder had a decent season, averaging a rating of 7.12 whilst scoring nine and assisting three.
At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Chelsea XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what Blues' best XI looked like at the end of the 2022/23 season as predicted by Football Manager 2022:
Full Chelsea best XI: (3-4-2-1): Mendy; Chalobah, Silva, Koulibaly; James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Chilwell; Mount, Sterling; Havertz.
In the best XI, Jorginho and Kovacic were the chosen duo, with Gallagher missing out. Mount started in a more attacking role with new singing Sterling, and Koulibaly made the best XI in the back three with Thiago Silva and Trevor Chalobah.
So, how did the Blues perform in the league and cup competitions after selling Kante in the summer transfer window? Let's take a look.
Chelsea's results from the 2022-23 simulation:
Chelsea earned eight fewer points in the Premier League without Kante in the side, ultimately sending the Blues down the table and out of the top four. A fifth-placed finish means that Chelsea lost their Champions League qualification for the following season, confirming a Europa League spot instead.
Interestingly, Chelsea lost the same amount of games as last season (6), but the Blues were awful at holding leads, drawing 15 games throughout the season, potentially showing just how important Kante is to Chelsea off the ball and in defensive transition. Tuchel's side scored 22 goals fewer than the previous campaign, also conceding two more goals.
But, even without Kante, Tuchel continued to work wonders in the cups, getting the Blues to two finals and winning one trophy. Mount grabbed two goals in the FA Cup final as they beat Crystal Palace 2-1, beating Kante's Arsenal 2-1 in the semi-final.
Kante's new side did end up beating Chelsea in another competition though, winning 2-1 against the Blues in the Carabao Cup. A shocking result saw Chelsea knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals, sacrificing a 3-0 first leg lead and losing 4-0 in the second leg to Manchester City.
Overall, this Football Manager simulation predicts that if Chelsea were to sell N'Golo Kante this summer, the absence of the midfielder could have a huge impact on their performance in the Premier League, with the Blues struggling to compete and dropping out of the top four. Though, Chelsea seemed to cope without Kante in the cups, with Tuchel's side winning one trophy whilst reaching another final.
Do you think Chelsea should offer N'Golo Kante a new contract this summer? Let us know in the comments!
READ NEXT:
Eden Hazard hands warning to Chelsea and Thomas Tuchel amid £45m transfer agreement
Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: All the latest updates and rumours from Stamford Bridge
Full Chelsea Premier League fixture list for 2022/23
Antonio Conte's Kalidou Koulibaly verdict as Chelsea close in on transfer
Todd Boehly has ace card up his sleeve as Chelsea very confident over Kalidou Koulibaly transfer
