N’Golo Kante: sell or not sell decision for Chelsea

To sell N’Golo Kante or not to sell N’Golo Kante, that is the question: What are some factors making this a very tough decision for Chelsea?

N’Golo Kante is a world-class player and he’s undoubtedly Chelsea’s best player when healthy. However, those two words—when healthy—is a key factor in evaluating whether Chelsea should sell Kante in the summer transfer period or not. It’s a big decision and a difficult one for the club, specifically Frank Lampard, to make. There are clear ramifications regardless of which direction the Blues decide to go. Let’s take a deeper look as to whether or not Chelsea should keep the Frenchman.

Does N’Golo fit the current Chelsea squad and does he mix well with the preferred formation used by coach Frank Lampard? It’s a big question to ask and some aren’t sure he does. Kante is a traditional defensive midfielder and one of the best (maybe THE best) in the world at that. But, he’s not there enough due to a manager playing him out of position or his injuries.

Kante has been used both by Sarri and now Lampard as something of a box-to-box midfielder, rather than in the center of the midfield. This is not his natural position. He’s not being used to his utmost effectiveness, being able to do what he does best on every play.

If Kante is used anywhere but in the middle of the midfield as a deeper-lying (not necessarily deep-lying) midfielder, he’s being used out-of-opposition. As arguably the best defensive midfielder in English or maybe world football, why is he not being used there exclusively? It’s puzzling because should be. If Lampard isn’t going to use him in his best position, that’s fine, but he should be sold to try to maximize the return.

Another reason to consider selling the Frenchman is his recent health. One may clearly argue that his being used out-of-position is one reason why his health has suffered. He’s being asked to take on a different role, being more involved in pushing the ball up the pitch. While he can run all day when fit, this overuse the past four or five years may have finally taken a toll on his legs. It’s more likely that than a nagging set of injuries, but both may factor in.

Kante also is not getting any younger. He has a lot of wear, and literally miles—or kilometers—on his legs. It’s definitely starting to show. After age 30, it’s not going to get any easier for Kante to stay on the pitch. Hence, another mitigating factor on the side of selling Kante this summer.

The rationale for keeping Kante is an easy one for Chelsea. He’s a great player. He’s also the Blues’ best player at the moment and one of the Premier League’s top individuals. While that may change in the fall, there’s little dispute on his talent level in the team.

Yet, there are those two very compromising words again, ‘when healthy’.  Hopefully, the rest during the period when games were suspended will have done wonders for Kante’s health, at least for the remaining nine games of the current season. But what about next season? Fans will have to wait and see.

Another reason for selling Kante is an obvious one, it’s maximizing his transfer value now while he remains fit and prior to his 30th birthday. A healthy Kante is worth a significant amount on the market, even in these very difficult times in society. Yet, big clubs will be able to pay a good price for a player who is as good as Kante, especially clubs who may perceive their chances next season as possibly resting on the addition of one good or great player. Think clubs like Real Madrid or PSG.

Paris Saint-Germain is a natural link. The French club will always seek to add a player of Kante’s caliber to strengthen the overall team talent. The club will do that anytime as its tries so desperately to win a Champions League. If Kante puts on good displays for the rest of this season, there is every chance he will be eyed by such clubs who always have money to spend, one way or another. This is true even if they have to offload other players or include makeweights to make the deal work.

Also, let’s not minimize the psychological imperative that buying a player under 30 may have on such a decision. Obviously, it’s looked upon a  threshold age by most teams in Europe. In Chelsea’s’ case, it clearly factors into their decision making on extensions or acquisitions of players 30 years of age or over. The Blues are reluctant to give more than a one or two-year deal. Willian and Pedro are two examples of that. Willian is still playing at a high level and Pedro is still productive, yet neither is likely to stay with Chelsea after the end of this season (and as such, they may not even complete this season).

The final reason not to sell Kante is the fact that he’s such a terrific person. He’s not only a great player, but he’s also a wonderful individual off the pitch. He’s adored by his teammates, by his coaches and by the fans. Heck, he’s even loved by his opponents. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Kante is one of the most popular football players, not only on Chelsea’s team and in the EPL, but in world football because of his personality.

That may have benefits in helping to attract other players who may want to play with such a great player and person themselves. It certainly isn’t negative in any way, shape or form; quite the opposite, actually. Kante’s wonderfully positive, humble, magnanimous and downright wonderful character is an asset to any club’s dressing room, public relations posture and just about any other aspect one can think of.

However, business is business; and business factors often rule. This decision is a mixed bag with positives and negatives on both sides of the equation. Kante is just too great in all aspects and that makes this a really, really tough decision for the club to make. At the end of the day, just be glad that someone else is making it and it’s not your choice.