Chelsea are believed to be willing to let N'Golo Kanté leave the club next summer.
That's according to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, who claim that the European Champions are keen on the idea as they don't want to lose the Frenchman on a free transfer when his contract expires in 2023.
Kanté, who has won a Premier League title, an FA Cup and a Champions League whilst at Stamford Bridge, is currently in isolation after contracting coronavirus earlier this week.
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The midfielder was exceptional in the final few months of last season and put in a 'Man of the Match' display against Manchester City in Porto in May.
Manager Thomas Tuchel has been full of praise for the Frenchman since moving to the club and couldn't speak more highly of him after his brilliant display against Tottenham a few weeks ago.
"He's a top player," Tuchel said, as quoted by The Evening Standard. "If you have N'Golo, you have something everyone is looking for.
"You have everything you need in midfield with work rate, intensity, ball wins, skilful plays off the ball and with the ball, dribbling and even a goal. I see this every day in training and it's hard to believe how good he is.
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"He doesn't make a foul in ball wins. He plays excellent in every possession game in training. He is a unique guy. There's no more words needed from me. N'Golo is N'Golo. He is fantastic."
That said, should Chelsea decide to let Kanté go, they may have enough options to ensure his absence isn't felt too badly.
This includes promising youngster Billy Gilmour, who is currently on loan at Norwich City and has received praise from Roy Keane in the past, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who proved he can perform consistently in the Premier League whilst on loan at Fulham last season.
Kanté's departure could also free up some funds to bring long-term target Declan Rice into the football club. A potential move across London from West Ham was mooted throughout the summer, with Tuchel reported to be keen to exchange a player for Rice's services, but in the end nothing materialised.
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With plenty of months of the season to go, Kanté will unquestionably play a huge part in Chelsea's pursuit of more silverware. Whether he will be doing so in a year's time remains to be seen
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, N'Golo Kante