Pochettino wants to ‘build around’ Chelsea veteran with quartet ‘also safe’ from ‘fire sale’

Will Ford
Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante during a match

Mauricio Pochettino has told the Chelsea owners that he wants to build his new team around N’Golo Kante, with four others ‘also safe’ from a summer ‘fire sale’.

Pochettino is expected to be imminently announced as Chelsea’s new permanent manager after weeks of talks with Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.

Player sales have featured heavily in those talks, with the Blues’ bulging squad a problem for all of the manager’s at Stamford Bridge this season.

Mirror agree with multiple other publications in insisting a ‘fire sale’ is coming, but have focused on those that Pochettino wants to keep rather the players thought to be on the chopping block.

The Argentinian sees Kante as ‘pivotal to providing the protection he needs in front of the back four’.

During his time in west London, Kante has won the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and of course, a league title.

He has been incredibly consistent for Chelsea, but has greatly struggled with injuries in recent seasons.

The 32-year-old has missed 34 games this term having suffered a serious hamstring injury last August.

And since the start of 2020-21, Kante has missed 57 matches through injury, as per Transfermarkt.

With his contract expiring at the end of the season, Chelsea are eager to agree fresh terms, but are obviously reluctant to pay him big money due to his lack of availability over the years.

Having offered Kante a reduced salary, talks between the player and club reportedly broke down earlier this season, opening the door for a summer departure.

The French midfielder has been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal in recent months.

A report from Spanish outlet TodoFichajes claimed Kante has reached an ‘agreement’ to join the Gunners after Mikel Arteta ‘insisted’ to the club’s board that the ex-Leicester star would offer something different to his midfield.

However, a move to the Emirates appears to be a little less likely with Pochettino set to become Chelsea’s next permanent manager.

According to The Telegraph, the Argentine getting the job ‘could help get Kante’s proposed contract renewal over the line’.

The report states that Chelsea have been trying to agree a new deal with the experienced midfielder for ‘some time’ and had ‘opened negotiations’ before dismissing Potter in April.

The Blues are ‘optimistic’ Kante will extend his contract beyond this summer and have been ‘negotiating the finer details’ in recent weeks.

Pochettino’s arrival can help as the pair ‘share a mutual appreciation of one another’ and Kante ‘would relish playing for him’.

The ex-Spurs boss tried to sign Kante when he was at Paris Saint-Germain and ‘the pair have retained a desire to work together at some point if possible’.

The Mirror report further adds that ‘young defenders Benoit Badiashile and Levi Colwill are also safe along with full-backs Reece James and Ben Chilwell’.

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