Barcelona are reportedly considering making a move for Al-Ittihad midfielder N'Golo Kante this summer.
The 33-year-old was a key player for France at Euro 2024, helping his national side to reach the semi-finals of the competition, and there has recently been speculation surrounding his future.
West Ham United are believed to be keen on the midfielder, who won the Premier League title with Leicester City in 2015-16 before lifting the trophy again at Chelsea in 2016-17.
However, according to SPORT, Barcelona are also in the hunt for his signature, with the Catalan outfit considering making an attempt to bring him to Camp Nou during the current window.
The report claims that the La Liga giants have been considering moving for Kante over the last two years, and his name is now being mentioned by club chiefs to solve a problematic position.
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Barcelona 'exploring' summer deal for Kante
Barcelona are said to favour a loan move due to their financial situation, but Al-Ittihad are not thought to be willing to let the Frenchman depart on a short-term basis.
Kante's excellent 2015-16 campaign at Leicester led to him securing a move to Chelsea, and he won six trophies during his time at Stamford Bridge, including the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
The midfielder was restricted to just nine appearances in 2022-23 due to injury problems, though, and he then arrived at Al-Ittihad on a free transfer.
Kante has made 44 appearances for his Saudi outfit, scoring four times and registering six assists in the process, and he still has another two years left to run on his contract.
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Would Kante be a good signing for Barcelona?
New Barcelona boss Hansi Flick is said to want a defensive midfielder this summer, as the Catalan outfit do not currently have a specialist in that area of the field.
Indeed, Frenkie de Jong, Ilkay Gundogan, Gavi and Pedri all play their best football higher up the field, while Fermin Lopez also has a bigger impact in a more advanced area.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Al-Ittihad are not looking to sell Kante this summer, even though they could have the chance to make a huge profit on the deal.
However, it has been suggested that the club would consider an offer of around £25m.
For all of Kante's quality and the career that he has had, a deal in that region just does not make sense for Barcelona considering their financial situation, so the Catalan outfit should be looking elsewhere unless a cut-price transfer can be agreed.
Matt Law
