Chelsea midfielder linked with Barcelona could leave for free in 2023 – Romano | OneFootball

N’Golo Kante is in the final year of his contract with Chelsea and according to Fabrizio Romano, there is a huge chance that the midfielder could leave the club as a free agent in the summer of 2023.

This development could alert Barcelona, who have been linked with a move for the French midfield dynamo in the recent past.

Kante has been with Chelsea for over six years now and has won everything he can with the Premier League giants and has established himself as a legend at Stamford Bridge.

An ever-important cog in the side, the diminutive midfielder has had a rough past year or so due to injuries which has severely limited his involvement.

While Chelsea value Kante, Romano claims that the Blues are looking to refresh their midfield department with younger players and are already targeting several players.

Meanwhile, they have not made any offer or reached any agreement with Kante over a contract extension, leaving the door open for the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner to exit the club as a free agent next year.

This could alert Barcelona who have had their eyes on Kante as one of the possible options to reinforce their pivot midfield position in 2023. Indeed, the Catalans are looking for a replacement for club captain Sergio Busquets who looks set to move on in the summer.

And Kante is among the several candidates that the Blaugrana have looked at, along with his Chelsea teammate, Jorginho. Given that the Frenchman will be available for free, the possibility of signing him could appeal to Barcelona amidst their iffy financial situation.

Kante will be able to speak to other clubs over a possible pre-contract agreement for a free transfer starting January 2023.

However, Romano indicates that the French ace, who missed the World Cup due to an injury, would love to stay at Stamford Bridge as he feels settled at the club and the city.

But with Chelsea looking to freshen things up in the middle of the park, the ex-Leicester City ace could be on the move and Barcelona will likely be watching the situation closely.