Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante is back on the radar of Real Madrid this summer with the English club open to a sale.
That is according to a report in Diario AS, which claims the Blues are open to a summer sale to help fund their squad rejuvenation while the emergence of Billy Gilmour and form of other midfielders has lessened Kante’s importance at the club.
He could be on Madrid’s radar due to the prominence of Casemiro at the club and lack of alternatives in his position, while this could be seen as a unique market opportunity.
Casemiro has played 3,120 minutes across 35 matches (of a possible 39) for Los Blancos this campaign – more than any other player at the club.
The Brazilian started in 21 successive matches between September and December, with the summer exit of Marcos Llorente to Atletico de Madrid meaning there was no natural back-up in the squad.
Fede Valverde has been tried in the position but is more comfortable in a role with more dynamism, while Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are also ill-suited to a holding midfield role.
Kante won back-to-back Premier League titles with Leicester City and Chelsea before winning the World Cup with his nation in 2018.
The 29-year-old became the most valuable player at the West London club following Eden Hazard’s move to Real Madrid this summer, but his season has been disrupted by injuries and a loss of form.
