Chelsea star N’Golo Kante wanted by Juventus and Inter Milan on free transfer as both look to steal him as deal runs out

CHELSEA star N’Golo Kante is reportedly wanted by Juventus and Inter Milan as they look to take advantage of his expiring contract.

The midfielder has missed most of the season so far – and has been forced to swerve the World Cup – with injury.

AFP

The dynamic, intelligent, all-action midfield work of N’Golo Kante is well-appreciated among fans and pundits[/caption]

But he remains a highly-rated defensive midfielder and was still putting in impressive shifts for Chelsea as recently as August.

The Blues have been desperately trying to secure the 31-year-old on a longer-term deal.

But a dispute over how long the extension should be has slowed down talks.

The club now risk losing him on a free when his contract expires at the end of the season.

And a fully-fit Kante would still command the attention of several high level clubs in Europe.

Italian giants Juventus and Inter Milan are among the favourites to land his signature, according to La Repubblica.

The publication claims that Kante “does not have a good relationship with new manager [Graham] Potter” and the star could look elsewhere instead of signing his contract.

There is also a chance that Kante could jump ship in January, with La Repubblica reporting that £18million is the amount to get Chelsea to sell.

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Kante came into this season as one of the stars of the Chelsea team and his injury-enforced absence has not helped the side’s wobbly form.

This is his seventh campaign at Stamford Bridge after his 2016 move from Leicester.

Since arriving, he has won the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup and has proved to be an integral part of several Chelsea teams.

The main sticking point regarding his deal appears to be the Blues only willing to extend his contract for a certain amount of years, but Kante wanting more.

The Frenchman has been linked to London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham, as well as PSG, in recent weeks.