Chelsea: The best partner for N’Golo Kante (Part Two)

Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante is one of the world’s best. He has struggled with injuries recently, but who is the best partner for him in midfield?

After part one discussed how Kai Havertz could occupy the deeper midfield role, in part two, Oliver Smith considers four transfers that would be the perfect partner for N’Golo Kante in midfield.

If Chelsea was to venture into the transfer market to look for a midfielder who could get the best out of N’Golo Kante, it would not be easy. Especially in these pandemic times, it is not easy to justify large purchases from a financial standpoint considering the outlay Roman Abramovich made before the 2020 season. European clubs would undoubtedly love an influx of money to boost their coffers with fans and match day revenue still non-existent, but while the money coming in would be good, it would be a tall order for clubs to replace an outgoing midfielder in these times.

The next four players would be incredibly difficult for current clubs to replace. That being said, just consider these players. While the teams are perennial contenders in each of their respective countries, Chelsea and the Premier League would be a step up from all of the clubs they play for. Consider also the draw that London has for incoming players. It is one of the biggest cities in the world with a massive club that is on the upswing, it could be the ideal club to join at the perfect time.

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The first midfielder is Lazio’s 25-year-old Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The Serbian has already scored one and assisted another in four Serie A appearances this season. Yet, some of the shine has come off of the 6-foot-2 midfielder. Just two years ago Milinkovic-Savic was valued at close to £81 million, but the CIES Football Observatory’s transfer value for the Serbian as of October 29, 2020 was just £44.5 million. The central midfielder is strong and physical on the ball, and also not afraid of a long range shot. Milinkovic-Savic is good at linking the play and does the simple things well, a very Nemanja Matic type foil for Kante.

A player more in the mould of Kante is Marco Verratti from Paris Saint-Germain. The 27-year-old central or defensive midfielder has been a mainstay in the PSG and Italian national team for years. Few midfielders have been consistently as good as Verratti since he arrived on the big stage. Yet, CIES calculates a transfer value of only £36.4 million.

Do not let the CIES evaluation fool you, Verratti is still an extraordinary player. The Italian does not need the tricks or edge in his game because he is simply better than that. He is always in the right place at the right time and possesses experience at the highest level. Verratti would take a lot of the pressure off Kante in terms of winning the ball back, and if needs be, could replace Kante in the line-up should injuries necessitate it.

The next two players would have to be prized out of Atletico Madrid, the first of which is Koke. The Spaniard is nearing his 29th birthday, but still has talent in abundance. The oldest of the four players, Koke is an option if the Chelsea brass feel that a Declan Rice deal, Billy Gilmour or Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be ready in the near future and the club want a touch of class with a bucket of experience in the mean time.

A bruising work horse of a midfielder, Koke would bring some grit and toughness to a Chelsea midfield that has lacked that in recent seasons. With over 520 appearances for Atletico, Koke has scored and assisted many goals throughout his time in La Liga. However, he is nearing 30 and that is part of the reason CIES only values him at £40.1 million.

The final midfielder—second from Atletico Madrid—is Saul Niguez. At 25 years old, the most attacking of the aforementioned players is valued by CIES at £84.5 million. Saul has an excellent engine, as well as top quality vision both on the move in transitioning play and in the final third. Perhaps the most like Frank Lampard-esque player of the four highlighted, Saul has all of the necessary attributes to succeed at the highest level.

He oozes class and talent on the field and despite his age, he has already racked up over 400 appearances. Nearing the height of his powers, the Spaniard chips in with goals, assists and defence-splitting passes on a regular occasion. He would take the Premier League by storm.

The arrival of any of Milinkovic-Savic, Verratti, Koke or Saul would dramatically improve the Chelsea midfield. All four would take the pressure off Kante in different ways and allow the Frenchman to flourish once again. Sure, none of these players have been linked to Chelsea and yes, prizing any of them out of their clubs would be incredibly difficult. That is also not to say that difficult-to-buy players never move clubs or countries.

All of the players above would also be an improvement over Kovacic or Jorginho. Their acquisitions would allow the progression of Loftus-Cheek and Gilmour to be smooth. Further, it would remove some of the pressure and expectation on the relatively inexperienced midfielders to be excellent right now, instead making it easy for them to force their way into the line-up rather than rushing them in.

Chelsea has not had a game-altering midfield duo since that season of Matic and Kante. The rotating combination of Jorginho and Kovacic has so far failed to convince anyone it can be a Premier League force, forget a world beater. Kante is getting older by the day. With the extensive miles already on his engine, those thigh and calf injuries are only going to become more regular as he moves north of 30.

As much as Chelsea fans will want to hide from it, the best years of Kante are coming sooner rather than later. The Blues owe it to themselves, and to Kante, to partner him with the best possible foil to get as much out of the world class talent that he is. Perhaps that means the best answer to Chelsea’s defensive issues can be fixed, or at the very least helped, by bringing in a world class midfielder over a defender.

Who do you think would be the best complement to Kante in the middle of the park? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!