Chelsea resigned to N’Golo Kante transfer loss as Todd Boehly January emerges
The Blues intend to make money in January to pay for winter transfers, but it might cost them a crucial player.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Chelsea appears to be one of the busiest clubs in January as Todd Boehly intends to begin Graham Potter’s squad revamp early.
Just months after the new owners went on a major £250 million spending spree for Thomas Tuchel, the Blues just have one more game to play until the winter window opens, and then they will be free to get down to business again.
Potter is likely to receive his own war chest of finances to retool the team, which has once again exposed its flaws as the Blues stumbled to only two points from five league games prior to the World Cup break. After a failed summer transfer, it is already anticipated that a move for Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez will happen. Other 2023 targets might also be pulled ahead a window.
The primary area of concern is the midfield, especially because Jorginho and N’Golo Kante were both able to reach an agreement on January 1 to depart for free in the summer. Even without such an urgent problem, the centre region has caused problems for both Tuchel and Potter this season because there is no defensive shield in the squad and fitness problems make week-to-week selection difficult.
Hakim Ziyech’s potential sale may take into account the fact that there will need to be some leverage given the amount of money already spent this year, but the Blues may be tempted to sell one of their assets early in order to raise additional funds.
La Repubblica claims that Kante’s plan is to proceed in this manner. He is past his prime at age 31, and he has only participated in less than half of the games since breaking through his pain threshold in the Europa League final. He is one of the highest paid players at the club, therefore it doesn’t seem possible to negotiate a new contract on conditions that would satisfy both parties.
According to the Italian publication, Juventus and Inter Milan are reportedly considering signing the French player. Due to a hamstring injury acquired in the second game of the season, he is unable to travel to the World Cup and is not anticipated to return until at least March.
Tottenham is reportedly also interested, with Antonio Conte being the one to initially bring him to Stamford Bridge in 2016. Although it is unlikely that Chelsea will sell him to a rival, they might be open to doing so in January in order to raise some cash and give the player some time to adjust to life in Italy before returning to the field.
The likelihood that he will stay at SW6 decreases week by week, and Blues supporters would undoubtedly prefer to see him in the less demanding setting of Serie A than scavenging around a pitch for Conte once more.
