It comes as no surprise that {statorium_team tid=23 text="Barcelona's"} new boss Hansi Flick wants to make midfield signings, but the name being mentioned by the media is what will shock many Barcelona fans.
{statorium_team tid=8 text="Chelsea"} and {statorium_team tid=14 text="Leicester City"} icon {statorium_player pid=207 text="N’Golo Kanté"}, who currently plies his trade in Saudi Arabia alongside {statorium_player pid=1068 text="Karim Benzema"} in {statorium_team tid=724 text="Al-Ittihad"}, is being linked with a move to the Catalan giants.
Kanté left European football at the end of the 2022/23 season, thanks in part to his body not being able to keep up. He suffered so many injuries in his last years at Chelsea and both parties decided it would be best to part ways when his contract expired in June 2023.
Since landing in Al-Ittihad, however, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has regained his fitness and found his best form. He has put doubters to shame and talks about players going to Saudi because they cannot compete at high levels to rest.
He earned a call-up to France’s 2024 Euros squad and left Germany with two Player of the Match awards as Les Bleus were knocked out in the semis by eventual winners Spain. His performances helped fans recall his years in England with Chelsea and Leicester City, which helped him lift the UEFA Champions League title, the Premier League title and the UEFA Europa League title.
Rumour mills also began to circulate about a potential return for Kanté to England, where he made his favourite playground for almost a decade. {statorium_team tid=1 text="West Ham United"} are the club in question, thanks to new manager Julien Lopetegui looking to bolster his midfield options as he chases European competitions for the 2025/26 season.
Now, Barcelona are reportedly interested in Kanté, because Flick has the same idea as Lopetegui.
Barcelona’s current midfield options are {statorium_player pid=4337 text="Frenkie De Jong"}, {statorium_player pid=8585 text="Pedri"}, {statorium_player pid=31621 text="Gavi"}, {statorium_player pid=454 text="Oriol Romeu"}, {statorium_player pid=669 text="Sergi Roberto"}, {statorium_player pid=45448 text="Fermin Lopez"} and the veteran İlkay Gündoğan, who is the same age as Kanté.
Two of these players – De Jong and Pedri – are quite injury-prone and are expected not to be available for the duration of the season. Romeu and Roberto's futures are uncertain. This leaves Lopez, Gavi – who himself is returning from a long-term injury – and {statorium_player pid=92 text="Gündoğan"} as the only solid midfield options that Flick has ahead of the season.
Barcelona are already moving for {statorium_player pid=4725 text="Dani Olmo"} and {statorium_player pid=23468 text="Nico Williams"}, and could now add Kanté to the mix if the reports are true. However, the Frenchman’s arrival would be on loan.
Further reports also claim that they will face a stiff Al-Ittihad if they make a move for him. The club have already rejected West Ham’s first bid for the Frenchman which makes it even easier to reject a loan offer from Barcelona. All will be up to Kanté in the end, which will make this an interesting transfer window to witness.