Playing for 90
Fansided

Manager tips Leicester star to leave club soon

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 10: N'Golo Kante of Leicester City in action with Tom Carroll of Tottenham Hotspur during the FA Cup third round match between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City at White Hart Lane on January 10, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 10: N'Golo Kante of Leicester City in action with Tom Carroll of Tottenham Hotspur during the FA Cup third round match between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City at White Hart Lane on January 10, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

N’Golo Kante has been one of Leicester City’s most important players this season, but could he leave the Foxes soon?

Leicester are the surprise team of the Premier League this season and their attacking force led by Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez has gotten much of the attention. While their attack has been special, the performance of N’Golo Kante in the Foxes midfield has been just as important. That’s why the thought of him leaving the club should be very distressing to Leicester fans.

If you believe Kante’s former manager at Caen, Patrice Granada, then Kante won’t be a Fox for long. Granada told French Football that “he (Kante) won’t stay at Leicester for long. His next move will be to a huge club.” Those words should set alarm bells off for the first place Foxes.

Kante has been one of the club’s most important players on the season. His ability to break up play in the midfield and quickly transition the ball forward to start Leicester’s vaunted counter-attack has paid immense dividends for manager Claudio Ranieri. He has been the unsung star of the Leicester fairy tale.

More from Playing for 90

In his 20 Premier League stars on the year, Kante has been one of the best midfielders in the world. His Whoscored.com player rating of 7.67 as a starter backs that up. His play as a deep-lying midfielder also goes a long way to protect the central defense pairing of Robert Huth and Wes Morgan. His athleticism allows the club to maximize the performance of the two rugged, but slow centre backs. Check out his defensive chops in the highlight video below to see exactly what he brings to the table.

While losing Vardy or Mahrez would be a disaster for Leicester, losing Kante would leave a giant hole in the middle of their formation. It wouldn’t attract the same level of headlines as a big-money move for one of the club’s goal scorers, but it might be an even bigger loss.

There simply isn’t anyone else on the roster that can replicate what he does on the pitch. It’s also important to note that he is just 24 years of age so Leicester should view him as a building block for their team for years to come. He is good enough to be a foundational piece of Ranieiri’s project.

Related Story: Leicester is using Moneyball to win the Premier League

Leicester fans should hope that Kante’s former manager doesn’t keep in close contact with the player any longer. They should hope that Kante has fallen in love with the Foxes just as neutral fans all over the world have this season. If he has, he’ll never be inclined to leave the side of Ranieri, Vardy and Mahrez. Then, the fairy tale can continue.

Home/Leicester City