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N’Golo Kanté is one of three men on a shortlist drawn-up by Real Madrid as they look to strengthen their midfield.
Real are looking to provide help to Brazilian Casimiro, who has been a virtual ever present in their side in recent seasons. They have narrowed their preferences down to three, and Kanté is in the running along with Boubakary Soumaré of Lille, and 17 year old Eduardo Camavinga who plays for the Ligue 1 side Rennes.
Chelsea may be prepared to let Kanté go, but with the World Cup winner under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2023, they will not sell him cheaply, and are set to demand £79 million for him.
Given the fact that he is now 29, his age profile may count against Kanté as far as Real are concerned, with suspicions that the Spanish club may prefer to sign somebody who is younger and cheaper. Soumaré is 21, four years older than Camavinga.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.