It was always going to happen. The moment Leicester City fans had dreaded ever since their new set of heroes lifted the Premier League trophy aloft in May has arrived. N’Golo Kante is set for Chelsea, and the dismantling of the greatest side in the club’s history has begun.
Jamie Vardy’s willingness to sign a new deal with the Foxes amid interest from Arsenal hinted that this would not be the last Foxes fans would see of the protagonists in Claudio Ranieri’s fairytale at the King Power Stadium. The arrivals of first Nampalys Mendy and then Ahmed Musa – both of whom broke the club’s transfer record – hinted that this was a squad to be added to, not replaced.
But with Kante set to seal his move to Stamford Bridge over the weekend, there is a realisation that things may be beginning to peter out for Leicester and their supporters. The adventure of the Champions League awaits, but the sale of a star name has seen the mood around the club drop significantly even after just a few hours.
Perhaps what makes it even worse is that Kante, even when compared to Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, is the player Ranieri will find most difficult to replace. Vardy and Mahrez may have collected the two main individual prizes voted for on a national level last term, but Kante’s Player’s Player of the Year award is testament to the impact he had on his team-mates with his on-field performances.
His interception and tackle stats have almost become as memorable as the number of goals Vardy scored or Mahrez assisted, but there is so much more to his game than the dirty work in winning the ball back. His passing very rarely errs and at times it seems his lungs are twice the size of anyone else’s on the pitch. A willingness to drive forward and set up attacks in the final third sets him apart from most normal defensive midfielders, and though shooting remains one of his primary weaknesses, he is not afraid to try his luck around the penalty area.
Such has been his work-rate that much-heralded head of recruitment, Steve Walsh, even suggested he plays the role of two men on the field. “People think we play with two in midfield, and I say 'No. We play with Danny Drinkwater in the middle and we play with Kante either side, giving us essentially 12 players on the pitch,’” he told BBC Sport towards the end of last season. Chelsea are getting some player.
Cesc Fabregas would be forgiven for rubbing his hands with glee when he sets his eyes on Kante once both are back at Cobham after their Euro 2016 excursions. Drinkwater was able to concentrate on his passing game far more than previously with Kante alongside him, and Antonio Conte must be relishing the opportunity to unleash an uninhibited Fabregas back on the Premier League.
Drinkwater’s displays will likely prove a true barometer of quite how good Kante was come the new campaign. Mendy was bought with one eye on the fact that France international was yet to make a decision on his future, but whether Walsh can pull another rabbit out of a hat and unearth another gem from Ligue 1 twice in the space of 12 months is unlikely even given his undoubted eye for potential.
What is key now for Leicester’s hopes of at the very least challenging for the title they won last season is that few follow Kante’s lead in choosing personal career progression over loyalty to the club that made him a star. No one can begrudge the former Caen midfielder the chance of playing under Conte at one of the richest clubs in world football nor would anyone think less of Mahrez et al if they followed him out of the door. The Algerian has already been reported as being keen to leave in the wake of Kante’s departure, and suddenly Ranieri faces the biggest test of his 12 months in charge.
Should Mahrez make his move, then the Foxes side that opens the curtain on the 2016-17 Premier League season against Hull City could look very different to the one that ended it. Robert Huth remains suspended for the trip to the KC Stadium while the likes of Kasper Schmeichel, Danny Simpson and Jeffrey Schlupp are reportedly interesting other top-flight clubs.
Even Walsh – who is credited as being the most instrumental person in taking the club from Championship promotion hopefuls to champions of England in half a decade – is being linked with Everton’s vacant director of football role. Kante’s exit is all but confirmed and Leicester will rightly mourn his departure. For Leicester’s sake one hopes he is alone in seeking pastures new.
- Goal