Chelsea sold Kante 2.0 in “world-class” talent

Chelsea have seen a huge turnover of players since the arrival of Todd Boehly back in May 2022, with the American investing a small fortune into the playing squad.

The 51-year-old has spent over £1.2b on new additions in his near three-year spell at the helm, handing the likes of Enzo Maresca the funds to improve the first-team squad.

Whilst on the face of it, the money spent seems like a huge amount, the signings have been split between immediate first-team additions and investments for the future, potentially setting the club up for success down the line.

The Italian has subsequently built a settled side since his appointment in the summer, aiming to lead the Blues back to Champions League football ahead of 2025/26.

He and the supporters must wish they had one player to help lead them to such a feat after his own impact during his time as a player at Stamford Bridge.

N’Golo Kante’s time at Chelsea

Back in the summer of 2016, Chelsea forked out £30m for the signing of French midfielder N’Golo Kante from Leicester City – straight off the back of the Foxes’ remarkable Premier League triumph.

It would be a move that would allow the now 33-year-old to take his career to the next level, featuring over 250 times for the Blues over a seven-year period.

Kante won everything but a Carabao Cup during his time in West London, catching the eye with his relentless running and ball-winning ability, helping the side win the Champions League back in 2020/21.

However, injuries would get the better of him during his final years at the Bridge, restricting him to just nine appearances in his final year at the club before departing on a free transfer and joining Saudi side Al Ittihad in 2023.

Even though the likes of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernández both signed for over £100m, neither capsulate the ability of Kante, with the Blues already offloading the player who was tipped to fill the void.

The player who could’ve been Chelsea’s Kante 2.0

Many players have tried to emulate Kante in the holding midfield role, with his pace, ball-winning ability and small frame, but none have quite been able to match the levels he produced in England.

However, at one stage, it appeared as though the Blues had unearthed a player to follow in his footsteps in the form of Scottish youngster Billy Gilmour.

The midfielder joined the club from Rangers as a 16-year-old back in 2017, originally linking up with the under-18 side before making the jump into the senior squad.

He would make his breakthrough during the 2019/20 season, featuring 11 times across all competitions, before posting the same number of appearances in the following campaign – impressing with increased opportunities – leading to former Blue Patrick van Aanholt comparing him to Kante.

However, he would move to Norwich City on loan in 2021/22, but wouldn’t return to the first team in West London, joining Brighton and Hove Albion the following year for just £9m.

The Scottish international, who’s previously been dubbed “world-class” Frank Lampard, registered 60 appearances for the Seagulls before moving yet again this summer, joining Italian side Napoli, but despite the transfer, he’s valued less than goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.

The Dane has struggled for Premier League minutes, producing a howler against Aston Villa that cost the Blues a point, but he’s still valued at £16.5m by Transfermarkt, a figure higher than Gilmour, who’s now worth just £13.2m.

The 23-year-old has since made 14 Serie A appearances since his move to Naples, having bags of time to develop further, showcasing the Blues the mistake they made in allowing him to depart.

It’s a shame that his time at the Bridge didn’t go to plan, especially after the early praise he received after his emergence in the side, subsequently having to move elsewhere to achieve his full potential.

However, it goes to show how impressive Kante was during his time at the club, with no player yet to match his success in London, undoubtedly going down as one of their best-ever midfielders given the success and impact he provided.