Since July 16, 2016, Kante has donned the CFC shirt with pride and class. You would think with his talent, the midfielder would be quite an expensive transfer. The Blues managed to secure him for just £32m. In the history of the west Londoners, there will never be another piece of business that was done better.
He always wanted to be part of the rebuild in west London, but over the last few weeks, the belief that it would happen significantly decreased day by day. The French midfielder won nearly everything during his seven years in blue. From being crowned a Premier League champion in 2017 to hoisting the Champions League trophy in 2021, Kante was always an essential part to the success of the team. His accomplishments did not stop with the team. The Blues’ now former No. 7 was just the third CFC player in the history of this club in the Premier League era to win the league’s Player of the Season. No west Londoner has won the award since. Other individual accomplishments include the Chelsea Player of the Season in 2017/2018, and the UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the Season in 2020/2021.
Despite not being fit at times throughout his tenure with the Blues, Kante always put his best foot forward when he stepped between the white lines. He will always be known for the displays he pieced together when the lights were shining the brightest. In the biggest game of his career as a west Londoner in Porto, Kante won the Man of the Match to propel his side to a Champions League crown over Manchester City. The Blues’ now former No. 7 may have not scored a whole lot of goals, but when he did find the back of the net, it was something special. Fans of the west London side will always remember the French international’s stunning winner in the FA Cup quarterfinals at the Bridge against Manchester United, his second goal of the 2016/2017 campaign against the Red Devils.