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Jake Stokes

Chelsea could surrender £13m transfer bargain to Premier League rivals amid contract problem

Former Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit has warned Todd Boehly that the Blues could reluctantly hand their rivals a bargain in the summer transfer window. N'Golo Kante sees his contract at Stamford Bridge expire at the end of the season, and with the midfielder yet to pen an extension, he's currently set to leave for free.

The 31-year-old will be free to begin pre-contract talks with clubs outside of the Premier League in January in order to secure a move upon the end of his Blues deal in June. The west Londoners can extend his stay at Chelsea at any time, subject to the France international agreeing.

Should the Blues look to sanction Kante's exit, the club could either recuperate a small fee in January and relinquish his services for the remainder of the campaign or let him leave on a free transfer at the end of the season. With a verdict yet to be reached, Boehly has been warned of the quality he'll pass over to rivals if its the latter.

READ MORE: FA set to review incident at Emirates Stadium during Arsenal's win over Liverpool

Speaking to Genting Casino, Petit said: "Kante has been tremendous for years and years. He's been running around the world all the time, but I can understand Chelsea's position.

"How can they pay so much money for someone who is always injured? He cannot play a proper game. I heard he's back from training and will be fit soon, but I understand Chelsea's position. He'll be a great bargain if he doesn't sign a contract as he'll be available for free, and some clubs will be interested in getting him for sure."

Paris Saint-Germain are one of the several clubs that have been heavily linked with a move for Kante in recent months. In March, it was revealed that the £13million-rated midfielder ignored the French giants' advances when they tried to sign him in January.

It's believed that he reportedly refused to answer calls from Mauricio Pochettino's side and has been subject to several approaches. According to French outlet Le Parisien, club chiefs tried to convince Kante to finally make a move to the France capital during a time when the club was nursing an injury crisis at Cobham.

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