Chelsea: Frank Lampard states the obvious about N’Golo Kante
By Travis Tyler
Frank Lampard has lamented not having N’Golo Kante for much of the season. Stating the obvious, but Kante is vital to Chelsea as some cry for a cash in.
The historic rewrite around N’Golo Kante is perhaps matched in recent history only by the one around Diego Costa and Antonio Conte. Kante has gone from the greatest thing since sliced bread in the eyes of some, to someone who must be earmarked for transfer as soon as possible.
Frank Lampard’s opinion on it is that Kante is one of the best players in the world. He goes on to say how much the club has missed the Frenchman this season. But somewhere between the “right way to play” nonsense and the injuries this season, Kante’s allure has faded in the eyes of some.
The simple truth is if Chelsea has any player that is indisputably world class, it is Kante. And with a player like that, one does not cry about how they do not fit a certain style; one builds around them. Lampard is bang on the money about Kante even as the cries of cashing in will not quiet anytime soon.
On a very basic level, selling Kante does follow some logic. He is 29, has a style that relies heavily on physicality (though it relies a ton on intelligence as well) and the recent injuries woes are a concern. If a club is interested and willing to pay a fair price, it really is now or never.
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On a similar note, Kante is not necessarily the type of midfielder to slot into a high possession system. Lampard has tried to use him similarly to Maurizio Sarri in a more attacking mold, but he was at his best with Conte when he could sense out the play and sweep things up before moving the ball on.
But as already mentioned, when a manager has a player like Kante, they do not worry about how he fits into their system. They worry about how they can fit their system around that player. Lampard has tried, but the injuries have made for a stop start affair.
Chelsea really cannot afford to lose Kante if he returns to fitness though. Only Mateo Kovacic could potentially call himself world class at the moment. Kante being fit for what is left of this season, plus next season, could change the game in the midfield.
Part of that will be Lampard finding the right use of the midfielder. Conte has had it the best, but Sarri and Lampard have shown that Kante has a lot more in his toolbox. Lampard has simply not had the time to fully find the best way to blend his tactics and Kante’s abilities, but when he does things will only improve.
Simply put, Kante is worth more to Chelsea as a Chelsea player than any transfer fee the Blues could get for him. Sure, his age and injuries are a worry but one is an issue that can be dealt with gradually and the other may only be an issue in the short term.
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Lampard is right; Kante is one of the best in the world. A rough season or not, that does not change. And no transfer fee can replace that.