Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante plays down Real Madrid rumour

While it might be heavily reported that new Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is intent on bringing N’Golo Kante to the Bernabeu, the Chelsea midfielder has played down any rumours.

The 27-year-old who is currently on international duty with Didier Deschamps side has told RTL that he will not be drawn into discussions over a potential switch this summer.

Along with being a man topping Los Blancos’ transfer wishlist, The Sun are also reporting that Italian giants Juventus are looking to secure Kante’s services.

N’Golo Kanté not interested in hypothetical Zinedine Zidane call: “That is not important. I am at Chelsea & focused on that.” https://t.co/104kJ9PTjb

— Get French Football News (@GFFN) March 24, 2019

 

Kante calms Real Madrid interest

While the arrival of Jorginho may have seen Kante have to adopt a different role in Maurizio Sarri’s new look Chelsea side, the energetic midfielder is enjoying another successful campaign at Stamford Bridge.

Firmly cementing himself as a fan favorite in West London, the two-time Premier League winner is seen to be one of Chelsea’s vital figures in their push for a Champions League return.

Sarri’s side find themselves sat three points adrift of the top-four, and will also play Czech club Slavia Prague in the Europa League quarter-finals next month.

With Kante featuring in each of the Blues’ 30 league appearances this season, the 2017 PFA Player of the Year has also set in a new personal best for goals scored this year by chipping in with three strikes.

Since helping Leicester to an historic title-winning campaign back in 2016, the 27-year-old is almost universally regarded to be the best defensive minded midfielder in Europe.

The 37-cap France International also became Chelsea’s highest-paid player when he put pen to paper on a five-year contract worth £290,000-a-week last November.

When asked about the speculation surrounding a potential move to the La Liga heavyweights, the World Cup-winning midfielder told French outlet RTL that he still has ambitions in West London.

“I am at Chelsea and I still have aims here, what is said elsewhere is not important.

“That is not important. I am at Chelsea and I am focused on that.”

Unsurprisingly, Zidane and Madrid still remain heavily linked with a potential swoop for long-time target and Chelsea talisman, Eden Hazard.

Scoring three goals in his two matches while away with Belgium on international duty, the Blues’ leading goalscorer has revealed he is still undecided on where his future lies.

Speculation surrounding a move to the Bernabeu was only intensified last week when Sky Sports revealed that Chelsea had rejected a £60million offer from Madrid last summer.

Hazard will enter the final 12 months of his contract at Chelsea in June.

With the Blues still reeling from their transfer ban handed down by FIFA earlier in the month, surely Sarri cannot afford to see both Kante and Hazard jump ship to Madrid?

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