Frank Leboeuf is a Chelsea fan who speaks in the media but isn’t on the club’s payroll and isn’t afraid to criticise the ownership – neither the old one nor the new one.
His take on N’Golo Kante’s contract situation, as outlined in his exclusive column on our writer Si Phillips’ Substack, sums it up very well:
“It’s very hard to say what to do with N’Golo Kante with his contract running out next month, and it’s hard to say that maybe you have to let him go now. He has bought so much to Chelsea because of his professionalism, his performances, and his mentality,” the former Blues defender explained.
“There is a reason why you are always injured at a certain point. But the thing is it is fully up to the club, he gets injured a lot and this season he has missed nearly the whole season, do you still believe that he can still bring something to the club if he is fit? You know better than us, we aren’t in the dressing room or in training. So why is he injured and how many more times will he be injured?
“Those are the questions the club needs to ask. If you think he will maintain his fitness better then extend his contract, because he can still be very useful and one of the best players we have. I wouldn’t like to see him rejuvenating himself at another club, but it’s really a discussion that you have to have with the player. I still think he’s one of the best midfielders in the world when he is fit. But if he cannot tick all the boxes physically, tactically, and also mentally then that can be a big factor in the decision.”
We totally agree, and Frank has also forgotten that it’s more than just the inside information about his medical issues which the club are privy to and we’re not, it’s also his contract demands. If he’s asking for £100 a week there’s no possible scenario where we don’t want to sign him. On the other hand if he’s asking for £1m a week there’s no possible scenario where we do. So without knowing what the club knows, there’s no way we can make an informed decision on whether signing him up for another year or two is wise.
