EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea and Kante will part ways in the summer

According to Foot Mercato chief reporter Santi Aouna, Chelsea and Kante will part ways at the end of the season, when the player's contract expires.

Kante 's current contract expires in the summer of 2023, and a renewal is a must now. However, there is a clear gap between the two sides in the contract renewal negotiations: Chelsea hopes to renew Kante's contract until 2026, with an option for the last year; the Frenchman asks for at least a three-year contract extension, with the option of an extension of one year.

Kante's injury history in recent years has also made Chelsea indecisive about a contract extension. Kante's current weekly salary is as high as 290,000 pounds, second only to Sterling and Koulibaly who joined this summer. However, in the past 3 seasons, he has missed many occasions due to injury and missed at least 50 games in all competitions. In the new season, the French midfielder played only 175 minutes due to a muscle strain. He last played 2 months ago.

Santi Aouna says Kante will leave Chelsea on a free agent next summer. He also learned that Kante wants to stay in London, where he feels good. So with relatively limited options, Arsenal and Tottenham are Kante's potential next stops.