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N’Golo Kante, a midfielder for Chelsea, is attracting attention from Saudi Arabia as his future as a player at Stamford Bridge becomes more uncertain. Kante’s current contract expires this summer, and negotiations for a new one have stagnated. The 32-year-old is the most recent prominent athlete being sought after according to the Saudi Pro League, which also lured Karim Benzema to the Gulf nation to join Cristiano Ronaldo.

Additionally, Lionel Messi is negotiating a £320 million per year contract with Saudi Arabia, which would represent the highest wage in football history.

Kante appeals to the Saudis due to the fact they see him as a role model for Muslims. One of the teams interested in him is Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, and Benzema’s Al-Ittihad are also reportedly interested.

Kante owns every title Chelsea has to offer, save for the League Cup, but Mauricio Pochettino’s Blues are currently rebuilding their midfield, therefore Kante may leave Stamford Bridge.

 After losing interest in Sporting Lisbon’s Manuel Ugarte, Chelsea is eyeing a deal for Moises Caicedo of Brighton.

Also expected to walk away from Chelsea this summer is Mateo Kovacic, who has been given permission to negotiate with Manchester City. According to rumours, Mateo Kovacic, the midfielder who has been drawing significant attention from Manchester City, will command a transfer fee of about £35 million from Chelsea.

Late last month, the reigning Premier League champions began negotiations with Kovacic, who has one year left on his contract. Chelsea are open to doing business as they attempt to fund their own midfield transfers. Kovacic and parties have reportedly reached an agreement in principle on personal terms, and City is optimistic that a contract will be finalised in the weeks that follow. 

Pep Guardiola, though, is anxious to prevent any distractions in the run-up to City’s crucial match against Serie A heavyweights Inter on Saturday, June 10. As a result, no official announcement is anticipated until shortly after the Champions League final.

Former Inter midfielder Kovacic signed a loan agreement to move to Chelsea from Real Madrid during the summer of 2018. Since then, he has made 221 games for the Blues, contributing six goals and 15 assists across all competitions.