Chelsea star N’Golo Kante has rejected the club’s initial offer of a contract extension, reports The Athletic’s David Ornstein. His deal is up at the end of this season, which means that the Frenchman will be free to negotiate a pre-contract with foreign clubs starting January 1, 2023, and will be allowed to leave the club six months later, that is, if fresh terms aren’t agreed upon between the two parties by then.
As per Ornstein, Chelsea’s current offer to Kante is of a two-year extension with the option to trigger an additional year should the two camps be in agreement. The Blues are said to be factoring in the France international’s recent injury record; he has been absent from the first team since early August and missed 16 games last year.
The 31-year-old, however, is looking for a longer deal. As is reported, the previous Chelsea ownership were in talks to renew his contract for three years with the option for another one.
Were he to leave Chelsea at the end of the season, there would be no shortage of suitors. As per the report, there are already two clubs in England and several others in Europe keen on the Frenchman. He has been the subject of interest of several top European clubs in the past, too, most notably Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.
Kante arrived in England in the summer of 2015, signing for Leicester City from SM Caen. A year later, with a Premier League winners’ medal around his neck, he left the Foxes for Chelsea and has been a stalwart for the Blues ever since.
In his seven years with Chelsea, Kante has made 262 appearances and scored 13 goals. During this period, he won the Premier League again, the FA Cup, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup. He also won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with his national team France, playing a key role in their win.
