This feels like a Woodward signing. Big name past his prime available on the cheap.
N'Golo Kante
- Thread starter Giggsyking
- Start date
While I can't dismiss the feeling about us doing some stupid deals (in recent past), in this case, if Kante available for cheap, he'smore likely to move to PSG (previously linked with him a lot), or Tottenham. Not just CL football, but somewhere he would feel more comfortable. London, Paris vs Manchester. Having previously work under Conte vs start of a project under ETH.
No, Kante has not been consistent and outside of a couple of great CL performances in 2021 has been poor and inconsistent. It's just not reported so people just assume he is great based off his past reputation and name.
Getting Kante when he is not at the peak of his powers anymore and while Pogba (who shines with Kante next to him) is leaving... seems like smart business
If we sign Kante for name recognition value, then obviously nothing has changed with the club's philosophy and we will continue to fail. I'm fairly hopeful that they've finally realised this way isn't going to work though. If we sign Kante because ETH wants him and thinks he can do a job, then I'm fully behind it.
This is the signing we needed to make when we still had pogba. I dunno if Kante will be good for us now.
We should be realistic that we are not currently attractive to attract the top talents that we need. Apart from Tchouameni, I don't see much quality CDMs out there.
Kante will be a cheap and quality short term solution to our CDM position issues while we plan for a quality replacement for the future. I am in.
Kante will be a cheap and quality short term solution to our CDM position issues while we plan for a quality replacement for the future. I am in.
If Ten Hag wants an all action lawnmower midfielder than get Laimer or Enzo Fernandez, you just know if we buy Kante it will end up like Schweinsteiger and Matic, especially the former given Kante's injury issues which you know will only worsen here.
No way Chelsea let him go, surely? He's had some injuries and some struggles coming back from injuries, but I don't think that constitutes this "decline" a lot of people are going on about. People thought he was in decline a couple of years ago and he came back stronger than ever - I wouldn't bet against him doing it again.
On the cheap? That's not Woodward's style.
On one hand it's Kante, who has been one of the best at what he does for years.
On the other hand we bought Matic in similar circumstances at a younger age, with Chelsea fans saying he was on the decline, and while he had some good spells, we spent most of the time moaning that he didn't have the legs, and would have been better years before.
Completely different physique on the two of them. Look at Modric at 36 who is much more similar physically to Kante.
I’m not particularly for this move, but comparing to Matic seems wrong.
Chelsea midfielder past his peak is the link.
Is Kante at 31 past his peak? I think Ronaldo was past his peak from 28-36.
Ten Hag has a habit of buying older players who are seemingly on the decline or not that great to begin with and getting out of them more than most people expect.
Conte wasn't with Matic either at the time
And he was right, they shouldn't have sold him that year when the plan was to sign Bakayoko.
Why would they sell other than for injuries, which is exactly why we should avoid him? Why would he want to leave to come to us?
Kante next to de Jong under ten hag would be class
It's not an age thing it's a personal situation thing.
Kante certainly isn't the machine he was.
Is he better than McFred in that position though. That's a certainty.
Some people here would honestly give out about any signing. Outside the box signings are unproven, someone from a weaker league is a ‘hipster signing’ or ‘know it alls’ want him. And then the most decorated and proven midfielder we could possibly buy and he’s too old…
And injury prone*
Peter Walton will always agree with the ref's decision
Peter Walton stuttering to make up this shit sound like the referee's decision is correct
I Kante believe it
Signing a 31 year old would only make sense for some silly american owners, trying to over-compensate and show a big name
Been wondering when this one would appear - we've bought Chelsea "sells offs" before and no one can say they were a resounding success (sadly). That said, maybe this is where we are at present...
What is the rumoured price?
Did you see him against Liverpool ? He was basically the same as he was the last 3-4 years. He did things in terms of pressing and harassing no player in our team is close to doing
Like we did with Van Persie ?
RVP finished a full season uninjured and was still peak
He played more for Chelsea this season than mctominay did for us. The idea that he's washed up and utterly past it is ludicrous.
He was also the best player and big match performer during a CL winning run just a year ago. Like I've said, we could do so so much worse than Kante this summer.
Would be the best DM at United post-Fergie by a country mile and if ETH rates and thinks he can get the most out of him then I'd trust that.
Anyone who watched United play Chelsea at Old Trafford last month surely saw he’s not finished as a player by any means.
This.
Still he's very reliant on his physicality and I don't think he can cut it past one season. Hope we give him a short contract and don't tie him down on expensive wages if we go for him now.
Ronaldo type deal would be fine.
I would expect Kante to have some special performances throughout a season, even in a state of decline. What you're looking at is how much longer can it continue and especially so going into a multi-year contract. We should know too well what haggared looks like when we get a class player who hasn't much left at the level he made his name off of. Kante may hold his level, but it could also plummet in terms of fitness/injuries into form, and there's no way to not factor that into what you're potentially getting for extremely high wages that we are bound to should he sign.
Modifying his game and either becoming a sitter or working on blocking passing lanes rather than being proactive, all-action, could change the perspective a great deal, if he's got a natural aptitude for that, but it's also a gamble because that's not what has made him and he mightn't be able to transition into a Makelele light.
Anway, all factors need to be considered across short, medium and long-term of the potential contract, and it's obvious what a fit and firing Kante brings to the table, but we also have to look at everything else that is encroaching on the game he is renowned for.
Kante would be a great signing. Rotate his minutes so he isn’t run into the ground.
I would be against this if it wasn't for the state of our midfield. Even I would improve it. Kante's mentality alone is worth it.
I was there that night and despite my opinion of him as a player, I thought he was very, very good. Him and Reece James were the best players on the pitch. Though they weren't up against much and still failed to win.