European powerhouses Real Madrid and Juventus are both believed to be keen on signing Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kanté at the end of the season.
Since arriving in English football back in 2015, the Frenchman has proven to be one of the world's finest defensive midfielders, and he has enjoyed a number of stellar seasons with Leicester and Chelsea thereafter.
According to Sport (via the Daily Mail), that form has caught the eye of Real, who have doubts over whether current holding midfielder Casemiro is right for the team.
They see Kanté as a huge upgrade, and manager Zinedine Zidane believes bringing in his compatriot could be exactly what he needs to help Real move on from their inconsistent form.
This is by no means the first time that Real have been linked with Kanté, but now the Spanish media have started to report their interest again with Zidane scouting out potential alternatives to Manchester United's Paul Pogba.
If they want to sign Kanté, they will have to fend off interest from Juventus, who believe that a £70m bid would be enough to convince Chelsea to sell.
However, with four years left on his contract, it seems almost certain that Chelsea would demand far more money for a player who is widely viewed as the finest in his position. And h
Having said that, everything could change if the Frenchman decides to hand in a transfer request to try force through a move.
With manager Frank Lampard eager to utilise young players, the boss will likely want to retain players with the Frenchman's experience to help ease the pressure on his youngsters.
The Blues' 4-1 win over Southampton on Sunday saw Chelsea rise to fifth in the Premier League, and they will know that another top four finish will help them keep Kanté happy for the foreseeable future.
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Source : 90min