Three big questions: Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante and the pursuit of more time

3. How much longer will Chelsea be able to lean on Kante?

Kante is 29 now. He has faced injury issues all season and he has a lot of miles on his body between his time in France and England. He is contracted to Chelsea for another three seasons but between the injuries, his age, and his style of play, he is reaching the dreaded “cliff” that every player finds as they age.

At some point, Kante will slow. The injuries, if they are just a run of bad luck this season, will increase over time. When Kante slows, he will have to adapt, which may be another part of Lampard’s thought process of bringing him deeper.

Eventually, Chelsea will have to face the very real prospect that Kante is not the two-players-in-one monster that he was in his two title wins. Before then, the Blues need to seriously consider whether or not a transfer fee would outweigh what Kante produces on the field.

This is by absolutely no means a call to sell Kante. But if this next season he faces just as many injuries, it will need to be strongly considered. The Blues could benefit from a player like Kante for years to come, but at the same time, he can still fetch an exorbitant transfer fee for another year or two. While Kante is adored, it is also best to have him hitting the cliff at another club as Chelsea counts the cash than hit the cliff at Chelsea and the club to have nothing.

It is a less than ideal situation to consider. Ideally, the Frenchman returns in full fettle throughout next season and that particularly conversation can be delayed. If not, this season will be the turning point of the discussion.

What questions do you think need to be asked of Kante this season? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!