Chelsea: £400k-a-week star 'would be captain' if he stayed at Stamford Bridge

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·30 September 2023

Chelsea: £400k-a-week star 'would be captain' if he stayed at Stamford Bridge

Highlights

Journalist Dean Jones suggests that N'Golo Kante would be Chelsea's captain if he had not left for Al-Ittihad Club, highlighting the impact he could have had on the team.
Chelsea's recent victory against Brighton masks underlying issues, such as struggling recruitment and the absence of Kante, which have contributed to their inconsistent form.
Kante has made a strong start to his time at Al-Ittihad, contributing to their success and possibly alleviating any regrets about leaving Chelsea.

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Chelsea's captain would be N'Golo Kante if he hadn't left to join Al-Ittihad Club in the summer transfer window, journalist Dean Jones suggested to GIVEMESPORT.

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Kante left under unceremonious circumstances, but Jones believes the Frenchman still had plenty to offer the Stamford Bridge dressing room.

Former Chelsea star N'Golo Kante - Latest

Chelsea victories have been hard to come by in recent weeks and months, but that wasn't the case in midweek, as the Blues (just about) despatched a rampant Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge. A single Nicolas Jackson goal separated the two teams, but in truth, the scoreline didn't exactly tell the full picture.

Brighton registered almost double the amount of completed passes, with the Seagulls also finishing the match having had more shots than their west London opponents. However, of course, Chelsea were the only team to find a goal, meaning it is in fact Mauricio Pochettino's side that progress into round three of the League Cup.

It's a win that has come at a good time for the Argentine coach, with the pressure having been building on his shoulders following a rough start to the campaign. Chunks of that criticism has been levelled at Pochettino's recruitment, with Chelsea's new signings having failed to hit the ground running.

One of those being Moises Caicedo, who arrived at Stamford Bridge following a £115 million switch from Brighton in the summer to replace Kante, after he himself left for Saudi Arabia at the end of his contract. However, there are suggestions that Caicedo's performances would've benefited from a spell with Kante this season.

N'Golo Kante is captain material - Dean Jones

When asked about losing Kante, journalist Jones admitted it was a major blow for Chelsea and one which so far they've seemingly failed to recover from. Going on to label the midfielder as captain material, Jones told GIVEMESPORT that he believes had Kante stayed, he would be wearing the Chelsea armband right now:

“I see the levels that Kante is playing at the moment for Al-Ittihad Club and if he was playing like that for Chelsea, he would be captain, he’d be the best player in their midfield and this team would be in a much different situation. “Also, someone like Moises Caicedo would have learned a lot from having somebody like Kante in the team. Because at the moment, the players around Caicedo are underperforming because they're also finding their feet in this team, I think he's struggling to establish himself and assert himself in the manner that he'd exactly like to.”

Was it a mistake to let N'Golo Kante leave Chelsea this summer?

If reports are to be believed, there's every chance Kante would've remained a Chelsea player, had things worked out a little differently. It was claimed back in May that the French international was open to signing a contract extension, with interest at the time coming from the likes of Barcelona and Arsenal.

Of course, that didn't transpire, with Al-Ittihad the side to eventually secure his services, where Kante is reported to be earning over £400,000 each week. Not bad going for a player in his thirties, but there is still an overriding sense that he could've contributed to the Pochettino project.

While Todd Boehly and Co. have gone to the effort of trimming down the average age of the Chelsea squad by only signing fresh young talent, it's clear there's a Kante-shaped hole in the heart of the Blues midfield. Without his presence, Chelsea do look stretched at times, with Caicedo still learning to ropes under Pochettino.

What has N'Golo Kante been up to while in Saudi Arabia?

Despite the claims Kante could've still been performing for Chelsea this season, Kante has enjoyed a strong start to life in the Middle East, with the former Leicester City man having shone for new side Al-Ittihad. Featuring in every game for the Suadi Arabian champions so far this season, Kante has racked up over 760 minutes in nine appearances so far this season (via Transfermarkt).

And his performances have been crucial in propelling Al-Ittihad back to the top of the table, with the side managed by Nuno Espirito Santo having won six from their opening seven matches. The only game they haven't won so far this season was a 4-3 defeat to Al-Hilal, where fellow Premier League expatriate Aleksandar Mitrovic netted a hattrick against Kante's side.

While there may be a longing for what could've been this season had Kante stayed from Chelsea's side, it's unlikely the midfielder himself is looking back with much regret, given his weekly wage and his start to life as an Al-Ittihad player.