With less than 12 months remaining on his contract, N'Golo Kante's Chelsea departure is looking more and more likely.
football.london understands early discussions have already been held by the ownership group over potential midfield targets for next summer. There's an understanding amongst staff that a succession plan is required – no matter what happens next with Kante and his Blues teammate, Jorginho, who is in the same situation.
It would be ideal if they could keep Kante for a while longer though, and continue to bring in other talent around him. That could prove to be difficult, however. According to footmercato, Kante is aware of the fact that his time at Stamford Bridge may be coming to an end. Although he's ready to talk to several European clubs, he wants to stay in London. Arsenal and Tottenham are therefore two possible options on his list, since they're the two London clubs with the most ambition.
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However, reports have since suggested that Arsenal aren't interested in signing the Frenchman. As per Ben Jacobs at CBS Sport, Kante wasn't considered as a target in the summer and isn't on the club's radar now, either.
That does make sense, too. Edu and Mikel Arteta have worked hard to bring in talent aged 25 or under in recent windows. The Gunners' project is very much one for the future and the latest recruitment has supported that plan. On the other hand, Tottenham are prepared to bring in established stars. Although several young stars signed in the summer, Antonio Conte also brought in the likes of Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster and Clement Lenglet (loan).
With Arsenal uninterested, if Kante really does want to stay in London, Tottenham seems like the obvious destination. It's a move that's expected to have several twist and turns along the way, though, so only time will tell.
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