Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kanté is apparently pushing for a move to Real Madrid at the end of the season, with the France international said to be looking for a 'fresh challenge' in his career.
The 28-year-old has been in and out of Chelsea's side through injuries at the start of the season, but Kanté has now cemented his place back in Frank Lampard's starting lineup and has made 10 consecutive appearances in the Premier League.
Kanté still has a contract at Stamford Bridge until 2023, but The Sun reports the midfielder wants a 'fresh challenge' at the end of the season and views Real Madrid as his 'ideal destination'.
It's claimed that it would cost Real Madrid over £100m to prise Kanté away from Chelsea when the transfer window opens in the summer.
It's worth noting that the report doesn't cite where this story has originally come from - The Express and The Daily Star, who are also running with this rumour, only refer back to The Sun's piece too.
Bayern Munich and Juventus have also been credited with having an interest in signing Kanté, but neither side would be able to afford the France international in the near future.
The Bundesliga champions have their sights set on Leroy Sané, as well as either Philippe Coutinho or Kai Havertz, while Juve already have a midfield that's overflowing with bit-part players under Maurizio Sarri.
At this stage there doesn't appear to be much to this rumour at all.
But even if Kanté was pushing for a move away from Chelsea at the end of the season, the club aren't under any major financial pressure to sell - although that could change with a high-profile arrival like their apparent target, Jadon Sancho.
While the rumour (wherever it has actually come from) will certainly grab the headlines for a few days, this will go down as a typically fictional January transfer story and Chelsea fans have got very little to worry about as far as Kanté's immediate future is concerned.
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Source :
90min
