Chelsea's N'Golo Kante set to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr on free transfer - Paper Round
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Updated 26/12/2022 at 08:12 GMT
N'Golo Kante is out of contract at the end of the season and could join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. Elsewhere, Real Madrid are reluctant to chase Kylian Mbappe again after last summer, while Tottenham are one of three sides keen on Alexis Mac Allister. Chelsea are believed to be favourites to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.
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Kante could join Ronaldo this summer
Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to sign a huge contract to move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr after leaving Manchester United, and the Mirror believe that he could be joined by Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante. The 31-year-old French international is out of contract at the end of the season and could move on a free transfer in search of a new challenge despite wanting to stay in London.
Paper Round’s view: Kante has been one of Chelsea’s most consistent and effective players since his arrival from Leicester City, but he is no longer reliably fit, having played just twice for his club this season and missing the World Cup in Qatar. Playing in Saudi Arabia would be much less taxing on his body and offer him a huge payday in what would likely be his last few years of professional football.
Real reluctant to chase Mbappe
Spanish newspaper Marca report that Real Madrid are unwilling to chase hard for Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe. The 24-year-old is a risk, the La Liga champions think, because he might upset the balance of the squad and they want Vinicius Jr. to remain happy, and they are unwilling to spend a huge amount on his wages when they could instead focus on their own talent.
Paper Round’s view: Mbappe reportedly earns around £85m a year after signing a new contract at Paris Saint-Germain, so Real would likely have to match that in order to persuade him to move. That appears unlikely given the current setup at the club is enough to win La Liga and also the Champions League. If that changes though, Florentino Perez could soon change his mind for another Galactico such as Mbappe.
Tottenham want Mac Allister
Alexis Mac Allister now boasts a World Cup winners’ medal and the 24-year-old midfielder could be in line for a move to a big club in January or this summer, according to the Mail. The Brighton and Hove Albion player could attract attention from another Premier League side, Tottenham, but Italian teams Inter Milan and Juventus are also reportedly keen on the Argentina international.
Paper Round’s view: Mac Allister has adjusted adroitly to life in the Premier League and his performers in Qatar for the World Cup have positioned him in place for a high profile transfer. With two and a half years on his current deal, a pay rise might keep him on the south coast for another year, but more likely is that he will command a serious transfer fee this summer before he leaves.
Chelsea favourite for Rice
The Sun reports that Chelsea are leading the race for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice. The 23-year-old England international has turned down three contract offers and has 18 months remaining on his current deal. West Ham will not sell this winter but they could be tempted to let him go this summer, with Manchester City and Manchester United also both keen.
Paper Round’s view: Rice has now outgrown what West Ham can offer him and he will need to move on to play regular European football. At the moment, only Manchester City look certain to offer that next season, which could help them beat both Chelsea and United to his signature, and it is not clear if Kalvin Phillips has permanently lost Pep Guardiola’s trust after his post-World Cup fitness problems.
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