Chelsea face losing star midfielder to Barcelona on free transfer

France may have narrowly missed out on the chance to retain their World Cup title on Sunday, but there is plenty to be optimistic about for Didier Deschamps. 

The former international midfielder guided his side to the crown four years ago in Russia, but they fell just short of retaining their title as they were beaten 4-2 on penalties by Argentina in Qatar.

A number of Les Bleus’ stars impressed throughout the tournament though, none more so than Kylian Mbappe who won the Golden Boot award and took his combined World Cup tally to 12 goals.

France were also without several of their first team regulars, with the likes of Paul Pogba, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante all missing the tournament through injury.

Kante and Pogba were both instrumental when France lifted the trophy in 2018 and are regarded by many as two of the world’s best midfielders, but the former’s club future is now reportedly under threat.

According to Spanish publication Sport via The Mail, Chelsea’s Kante could be on his way to Barcelona next summer.

The report claims that the La Liga side are closing in on a deal to sign the Frenchman when his contract expires next summer.

Kante, 31, has established himself as one of the world’s best players since joining Chelsea from Leicester City back in 2016, but he has been increasingly hampered by injuries over the past few seasons.

Kante’s time at Chelsea could be coming to an end

The ex-Caen man has only made two appearances for The Blues so far this term, providing his current employers with a dilemma as to whether or not to extend his deal.

In the meantime, the report claims that Barcelona are hoping to persuade the player to sign a pre-contract agreement, something that he will be able to do with any foreign club from January onwards.

It is claimed that Chelsea have offered Kante a two-year extension to his current deal, but the player himself is demanding a third year be included.

That has prompted the midfielder to consider his options, and Barcelona are hoping to move in and take advantage of the situation.

Since joining Chelsea from The Foxes, Kante has made more than 260 appearances for The Blues.

During his time in London, he has won a total of six trophies, including the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.

Chelsea could find themselves in trouble next summer as Kante’s teammate Jorginho is also set to be out of contract at the end of the current campaign, and the report says that Barcelona are also considering a move for the Italian, or Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans.