Chelsea, N’Golo Kanté headed towards a separation?

Like Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen, power couple N’Golo Kanté and Chelsea are possibly headed for a separation. Obviously nothing’s set either way, but some lawyers may have been hired.

According to Foot Mercato, Kanté is “already looking for a new club” having “understood” that Chelsea do not “absolutely” want to extend his contract, which I’m guessing means that we don’t want to extend it at any and all cost. This is in line with previous reports about Kanté rejecting our initial extension offer, as he’s reportedly looking for longer terms than the new ownership’s willing to offer right now.

Both Graham Potter and Thomas Tuchel have talked about Kanté in appropriately glowing terms, but the harsh reality of the midfielder’s situation is that he’s not been able to stay consistently fit and healthy for a few years now, and that’s a consideration we cannot just keep ignoring. Kanté will be 32 by the time this season ends, and is unfortunately not getting any younger. A long-term contract seems like a risky move, especially if we look at it strictly in (“rebuilding”) business terms.

It’s hard to imagine Chelsea having success without Kanté ruling the most important area of the pitch, but all good and adorable things must come to an end. Whether that end is this season for NG remains to be seen, but it’s becoming a distinct possibility...