Chelsea Look to Extend Kante’s Contract Beyond 2023

Chelsea’s 2021 season was a mixed bag. They would have been disappointed at finishing fourth in the Premier League table and were forced to change managers midseason with Frank Lampard replaced by Thomas Tuchel in January. The Blues also lost the FA Cup final after being beaten 1-0 by Leicester City at Wembley.

However, Chelsea ended the 2020/21 campaign in glory after winning the Champions League with a 1-0 victory over Manchester City in Portugal last month. Not only did it give the fans some silverware but it put Tuchel on the map as one of the best managers in the business right now.

No doubt that victory caused a bit of an upset as sites like Nordickod had Man City as the pre-match favourites but Chelsea were able to control the game and come away with a priceless victory.

The focus now for Tuchel is to build on their Champions League win and push for the Premier League title next season. Chelsea are expected to be active in the market this summer but keeping existing key players is also a priority and Tuchel is desperate to tie N’Golo Kante down to a new long-term contract. Kante was considered the best midfield player on the pitch during the 2021 Champions League Final. Arsenal’s former legendary manager, Arsene Wenger, described his match winning performance as unbelievable.

Who is N’Golo Kante?

Kante is a 30 year-old Frenchman whose former manager Frank Lampard described him as ‘priceless’. He is considered to be one of the best midfield players in the world and operates predominantly in the holding midfield position.

In 2016 he joined Chelsea on a £32 million transfer deal from Leicester City. Following Chelsea’s premier league victory in 2017, he became the first player since Eric Cantona to win the EPL with two different clubs in consecutive years. In the same year, he was named French player of the year and would go on to win a World Cup winners medal a year later.

Currently, Kante’s contract is set to expire in 2023 but the club are set to enter negotiations over an extension that would keep him in west London for the rest of his prime playing years, which would be a huge boost to the club.

A Long Reign for Tuchel?

Although Chelsea has a track record of replacing managers fairly quickly, Tuchel seems to have taken a more long term view and was awarded with a new deal at the end of last season.

As well as Kante he has already extended the contract of Thiago Silva to June 2022. If he can secure the signature of Kante then this is a sign of a man who wants Chelsea to achieve long-term success.

German born Tuchel saw his own playing career end following an injury at 25. The 48 year-old started coaching youth teams for Vfb Stuttgart and in 2009 took over FC Augsburg II. His success saw him hired by Mainz 05 who at the time was newly promoted to the Bundesliga.

Despite the odds, Tuchel managed to secure the club’s top-flight status for five consecutive years and they became known for an energetic attacking style of play.

In 2018, Tuchel won two league titles for French club Paris Saint-Germain and guided the club to its first Champions League final.

Under Tuchel’s guidance and if they can secure the signature of Kante, the future looks very bright for Chelsea.