N’Golo Kante has informed Chelsea that he needs the Blues to commit long-term if he is to sign a new contract.
The 31-year-old Frenchman is in the final year of his deal at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea is eager to discuss his future because, when healthy, he is still regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world.
Initial extension talks have taken place, and according to reports, Kante has made it clear that he wants a three-year commitment from Chelsea, a club whose previous administration was notoriously wary of giving ageing players long-term contracts.
Since no formal offer has been made yet, Chelsea and Kante are currently determining what each party wants from the negotiations.
Chelsea will take Kante’s recent history of injuries into consideration. The Frenchman has been injured ten times since the start of the 2020–21 season, missing 27 games due to eight different injuries in 2019–20. He has missed his team’s last five games in all competitions.
Furthermore, Kante’s future is intertwined with that of Jorginho, a fellow midfielder who will turn 31 in December and whose contract is set to expire after 12 months.
Negotiations with the Italian have not yet begun, and it is unlikely that Chelsea will offer new contracts to both Jorginho and Kante. The Italian has drawn significant interest from Serie A.