Leicester City midfielder N’Golo Kante has reportedly been offered to Real Madrid as Lucas Silva will be Zinedine Zidane’s first casualty.
According to AS, Madrid are considering a move for Kante after being impressed by the 25-year-old’s performances last season, which saw him win the Premier League title and earn a place in France’s Euro 2016 squad, while Casemiro is Los Blancos’ only recognised defensive midfielder.
“I see myself in him when he plays,” Claude Makelele, Zizou’s former Madrid teammate, whose departure in 2003 was followed by four years without a trophy, is quoted as saying about Kante by the newspaper.
However, Zidane is also aware that Kante’s arrival would impact on the development of Casemiro, the Brazilian having convinced the Coach that he deserves to be a starter.
Nonetheless, Kante’s €25.5m release clause is believed to be within Madrid’s reach and would not affect their pursuit of Paul Pogba.
On the other hand, Silva is expected to be loaned out again as the former Cruzeiro midfielder occupies a foreign quota in the Madrid squad and is some way down the pecking order.
Silva spent last season on loan at Marseille but played just 38 percent of their matches, having lost his place in the team just before the turn of the year.
Madrid paid €14m for the 23-year-old in January 2015, thus the club are not ready to write off their investment so soon, but he is understood to have been given one last chance.
A return to Cruzeiro and Porto have been mentioned as possible suitors, the latter of whom loaned Casemiro for the 2014-15 campaign.
