The transfer market was set ablaze after rumours regarding Ngolo Kante started making the rounds. It is being reported that the Frenchman might be on his way to the Santiago Bernabeu. But the question lies, would he fit in Real Madrid’s lineup?
Kante’s life started exceptionally well in England. Leicester City scouted him from Ligue 2 side Caen in France, and he played a pivotal role in the Foxes’ one-in-a-million Premier League winning season in 2015-16. Kante managed 175 tackles and 157 interceptions in 37 appearances for Leicester City, more than any other player in the league.
Impressive performances at the highest stage of the game made him one of the hottest properties in Europe, prompting Chelsea to buy him for 32 Million GBP. His move to Stamford Bridge led a sharp decline in Leicester City’s performance as they were not able to replace him, which proves his influence on the team was massive.
The Frenchman also played an essential role in his nation’s World Cup campaign, with him starting in the final. There is no doubt that Ngolo is one of the best box-to-box midfielders of our generation. He can essentially walk into the midfield of every team in Europe.
Kante played amateur football for several years before making his professional debut. Ngolo was not sure if football would work out, so he studied to get a diploma in vocational accounting. His rise to the top has been meteoric, but no short of several obstacles. The Frenchman is dubbed as one of the most humble people in football.
Real Madrid have an ageing squad with the likes of Toni Kroos, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, Marcelo, Nacho, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale all above the age of 30 and it doesn’t seem logical to bring in another player who would soon join the list.
Also, Real Madrid already have one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, Casemiro. It would be not easy to see a system where both Casemiro and Kante can thrive. Madrid should try to invest in young players, just like they did with Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior. The young Brazilian wingers were bought for a combined fee of 90 million Euros which proves that Florentino Perez has plans to refresh his squad with young, talented players who can become best in the world under the guidance of Zinedine Zidane.
In January, Kante snubbed a move to French champions Paris Saint Germain, saying that he was happy in London and he trusted Frank Lampard’s process. It doesn’t look likely that Kante will be going anywhere anytime soon but who knows, and he might change his mind if the Spanish champions come calling.
