Try not to laugh at rumors of Sarri wanting Kanté at Juventus for £70m

It’s a Daily Mail exclusive from a reporter no one’s ever heard of before! Brace yourselves!

According to Alvise Cagnazzo, Maurizio Sarri wants N’Golo Kanté to join him at Juventus. The former Chelsea head coach sees Kanté as the ideal piece in his perfect midfield, an assessment few would disagree with, but even fewer would think is a likely outcome, especially at the rumored £70m price tag. Maybe add another zero on there?

What makes the rumor extra amusing is last season’s narrative of Sarri not using Kanté “properly” or “correctly”, even after many have noticed that Frank Lampard has deployed Kanté in a very similar position in the majority of his so-far injury-limited appearances. (Kanté isn’t and never was a “lone-holder”, so whenever in a midfield-three, he’s continued to play in advanced positions, keying the high press and defending from the front. His ideal position does remain central midfield, in a double-pivot — either as part of a 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2, or 3-4-3)

Kanté signed a new five-year deal less than twelve months ago and remains Chelsea’s most important player even amidst Frank Lampard’s youth revolution. As exciting as many of those young players rising to prominence may be, Lampard will surely understand how crucial Kanté remains and will remain for the foreseeable future.

So, sorry, Sarri.