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Shortly after he was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year for the 2016/17 season, N'Golo Kante lifted the Premier League with Chelsea, becoming the first player to win consecutive titles with two different clubs since Eric Cantona. The £32 million that the Blues paid to Leicester City for his services looked a bargain in retrospect, with the ever-smiling Frenchman earning rave reviews for his displays from fans and peers alike.
Kante's rapid rise to the top has been one of football's better stories of the past decade. The diminutive Frenchman has two Premier League trophies and a FIFA World Cup to his name already, despite playing in France's second division until 2014. His Claude Makelele-esque playing style has earned extensive praise from the experts while his modest demeanour off the pitch has merited the respect of supporters.
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At Stamford Bridge, Kante was among the 'untouchables' for the past few years - the players who are strictly not for sale. The France international used to be the first name on the team sheet. However, lately, several factors have thrown his position in doubt. As a result, we take a look at three reasons why Chelsea must do the unthinkable and sell N'Golo Kante before the next season commences.
#3 Injury-hit campaign
"It's been four years of constantly playing and the injury from the Europa League final affected his pre-season. The international break will be great for him to get the injury right. It would be great for everybody because he’s been playing game after game after game," said a hopeful Frank Lampard in August 2019.
Unfortunately, things did not get much brighter for both the player and his manager with Kante suffering from his most injury-hit season to date. The France international spent multiple sessions on the sidelines treating his injuries until the league's suspension - his latest one coming after a defeat against Manchester United in February. As a result, Kante has only appeared 22 times this season and was on track to record his worst-ever total since 2012.
As Lampard stated, Kante's injury troubles could be attributed to the fact that he has played more than 50 games in all of his last four campaigns. The 29-year-old has been deemed to be one of the most important players for both club and country and has been asked to play several times despite already carrying injuries. The 2018/19 UEFA Europa League final remains a prime example of such, in which Maurizio Sarri deployed the midfielder for the entirety of the match, despite him carrying an injury.
Now 29, doubts regarding Kante's mobility and endurance are being raised continuously. The Frenchman, who didn't stop running for the past four years has ultimately run himself into the ground. It remains to be seen whether or not he can recapture his best form once he fully returns from his injury hell.
#2 Not the best fit for the system
What is N'Golo Kante's best position? - Some claim N'Golo Kante is best suited to a two-man system in the middle of the park, the kind in which he played under Claudio Ranieri and later, Antonio Conte. Others, meanwhile, argue that the two-time Premier League winner can fit into a three-man midfield too, operating ahead of a deep-lying playmaker.
There is a third school of thought, one which believes that Kante is at his best while playing as the deepest of the three midfielders in any given system - a role he played for France in their 2018 World Cup win.
While Kante has had limited success in a three-man system, he has been at his absolute best while playing alongside just one other midfielder. A two-man defensive system is one in which the France international has looked a cut above the rest. Unfortunately, it is also a system which Chelsea haven't used for the past two years.
Both Maurizio Sarri and Frank Lampard have lined their teams up with a three-man midfield, with Jorginho acting as the Regista. Kante has been asked to play as a box-to-box midfielder to the right of Jorginho, while one of Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount has been deployed on the left-hand side.
Kante has been brilliant at times during this campaign, however, Chelsea have looked more fluid with the Frenchman not in the team than in it. Furthermore, he is arguably behind Jorginho, Kovacic, and Mount in terms of performances this season, although recurring injuries and lack of consistency are to blame for that. The 29-year-old remains best-suited for a two-man midfield system and unless Frank Lampard decides to play one, Kante should be moved on.
#1 Best time to sell
Chelsea made an excellent transfer decision when they paid Leicester City £32 million for N'Golo Kante back in 2016. Having reaped the benefits from his presence both on and off the pitch, the time is now right for the Stamford Bridge outfit to sell their star man and usher in a new era.
Buying and selling players at the right time are the defining traits of any good club. Clubs like Liverpool, Juventus, and Bayern Munich are the best examples of the same, with all three teams exploiting the transfer market to good effect. Chelsea should follow their lead and sell Kante in the upcoming transfer window when they stand to make a huge profit off him.
Kante is currently valued at €100 million by transfermarkt - a value that is expected to fall in the future. The Frenchman has already hit his peak and at 29, is starting to show signs of fatigue. Therefore, the best time to sell and replace the FIFA World Cup winner is now, while his stock is still high.
Chelsea are unlikely to find an exact replacement for Kante but they could bring in someone who is a better fit for Frank Lampard's system. The club is perfectly positioned to do so too. Academy stars such as Ethan Ampadu, Conor Gallagher, and Billy Gilmour could be fast-tracked into the first-team should the Frenchman be sold.
The club could also dip into the transfer market and bring in already-established stars such as Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Boubakary Soumare, both of whom have been linked with the London outfit recently.
Plenty of signs point towards the end of the road for Kante at Stamford Bridge. The France international will undoubtedly be a huge loss for the Blues. However, should they play their cards right, Chelsea could make the best of the situation and come out of it even stronger.
