EPL 2017/18: 5 best central midfield partnerships going into the season

#4 N’Golo Kante & Tiemoue Bakayoko

N'Golo Kante will again have to be at his best

Chelsea have had a slightly topsy turvy pre-season. After beating Arsenal 3-0, they suffered defeats at the hands of both Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, in games where the results could have been worse than they both were. This suggests that the Kante and Fabregas partnership isn’t going to lead them to another Premier League title.

However, not to worry Chelsea fans, this is why Antonio Conte brought in Tiemoue Bakayoko.

The French midfielder is likely to build a powerful partnership with fellow compatriot N’Golo Kante. Bakayoko, who was signed from Monaco this summer, has very good short range passing and can travel with the ball using his strength effectively. Additionally, he is also able to win the ball back deep in midfield.

Although they have similar skills defensively, Bakayoko offers more ability on the ball, meaning they have the combination of two well drilled defensive midfielders, with one who can pass and dribble quite comfortably. This will surely be an upgrade on Nemanja Matic, who Chelsea sold this summer. Matic had a good range of passing, but less able to carry the ball forward.

Chelsea fans will be in for a treat if the French duo click like they are expected to when Bakayoko recovers from his injury.