Frank Lampard has hailed Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante as “one of the best midfielders in the world”, following reports linking him with a move away from the Blues. Lampard’s side reportedly want to bring in Kai Havertz and Leicester City left-back Ben Chilwell, but the Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg says that Chelsea will not fund those moves by selling Kante.
N’Golo Kante ‘One of the Best Midfielders in the World’ Says Frank Lampard
Lampard Talks Up Midfielder
After moving from Leicester following their title win in 2015/16, Kante has widely been regarded as one of the best midfield players on the planet. However, during Maurizio Sarri’s year in charge, he was played out of position for much of the spell and this had a knock-on effect on his form, which was also not helped by injuries.
That drop in form seems to have continued into Lampard’s reign. The Frenchman has made 22 appearances this season but that number is set to increase after he overcame Coronavirus fears to return to training and confirmed he would be available for selection.
He also appears to be in Lampard’s long-term plans after the Blues boss could not hide his huge admiration for Kante.
He said: “In terms of N’Golo, I’ve seen some talk and reports about him and his future at the club. I’ve said it a lot of times about N’Golo – one of the best midfield players in the world. I would have loved to be able to play with him. He has everything.
“Coming back to Chelsea and having N’Golo Kanté is something I really want to appreciate and work with. Because of injuries it’s been tough for N’Golo. It’s nice to see him a little bit fresh. N’Golo is so important to us going forward. We need him regularly and hopefully we’ll have that now.”
N’Golo Kante Back for Villa Game?
It seems as though Kante will be available for Chelsea’s first game back after the Premier League restart tomorrow, away at Aston Villa. However, he has not played since being taken off injured 12 minutes into February’s defeat against Manchester United.
In that time, Lampard has used two central midfielders in a 3-4-3 formation and, when reverting back to 4-3-3, has brought in youngster Billy Gilmour to great effect. He produced Man of the Match performances in the two games in March before lockdown.
So, while N’Golo Kante is technically available for selection, Lampard has more options to consider than just dropping him straight back into the team. His time will surely come, though, as it sounds as though he is going nowhere.
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