It was on July 16th of 2016 that N'Golo Kanté joined Chelsea from Leicester City for a £32 million transfer fee. The French defensive midfielder was the spine of Leicester's legendary side that won the Premier League, with many seeing the transfer fee as a bargain for the Blues. Arsenal were interested in signing the Frenchman as well, but he ultimately ended up with their London rivals.
Kanté went on to spend the next 7 years at Stamford Bridge, leaving behind a glorious legacy. Let us now look back at his time with Chelsea.
A dream start
Kanté made his Chelsea Debut on 15th August 2016, putting up a fine effort in Chelsea's 2-1 win over West Ham United. Three months later, he went to have a Man of the Match display in Chelsea's 3-0 thrashing against his former side Leicester. It was simply a year to remember for the Frenchman, with prestigious magazine L'Équipe naming him as the world's sixth best footballer on December 26th.
The defensive midfield monster continued his excellent momentum, helping Chelsea beat United in the FA Cup quarters with his goal being the only difference. On 20th April 2017, Kanté was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the second consecutive season. He was also later named the PFA Players' Player of the Year, the FWA Footballer of the Year, and the Premier League Player of the Season. In short, the French repeated his same heroics with Leicester in Chelsea as well. This saw the Blues end the season as Premier League Champions, and Kanté became the first player since Eric Cantona in 1993 to win back‑to-back top-flight titles in England with two clubs.
Europa League triumph and rumoured departure
Kanté celebrated his early Chelsea triumphs by signing a new five-year contract on 23th November 2018, making him the club's highest paid player. On April 22nd 2019, the Frenchman scored on his 300th club football appearance for the club to help them snatch a 2-2 draw against Burnley. Although he wasn't 100% fit, Kanté went on to start in Chelsea's 2018–19 Europa League final against Arsenal and put up a dominating display to help them achieve European glory.
Although injuries began to derail his on-field contributions , Kanté continued to put up fine performances for Chelsea. It was around this time that PSG were interested in signing him, but the Frenchman ultimately decided to reject their advances and remain loyal to the Blues.
Ultimate European success and departure
The year of 2020 saw Kanté decide to train from home due to the COVID pandemic, although Chelsea resumed training on site. It was in the Champions League that Chelsea saw the best of Kanté that season, beginning with his 200th appearance for Chelsea against Atlético Madrid in the Round of 16.
Kanté went on to put on a dominating display in midfield to help Chelsea overcome the Rojiblancos 1-0. Another midfield masterclass was on display by the Frenchman, as Chelsea managed to put down the mighty Real Madrid in the semi-finals. His biggest performance was, however, kept for the ultimate stage. Chelsea faced Manchester City in the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final, and ended the night as European Champions with a 1-0 victory. Kanté was named as man of the match, with his performance being labelled by many as nothing short of legendary. He was later awarded the UEFA Men's Midfielder of the year accolade as well for those heroics.
Kanté enjoyed one last silverware success with Chelsea in 2022, as the Blues lifted the FIFA Club World Cup after beating Palmeiras 2-1 in the final.The French Midfielders final year in Chelsea was ravaged by injuries, and fans rarely got to see him in his last months as a Chelsea player.
On 21st June 2023, Kante agreed to sign for Saudi Professional League club Al-Ittihad on 1st July upon the expiration of his Chelsea contract. It was the end of an era at Stamford Bridge, as Chelsea bid farewell to their greatest modern-day defensive midfielder.
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