TalkSPORT pundit Darren Bent wants Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to sign N’Golo Kante from Chelsea for free when his contract expires next year.
The Frenchman has been one of the best midfielders in the Premier League since Leicester City’s historic title-winning season. He has been amazing for Chelsea as well since he joined them, but his time at Stamford Bridge may well come to an end in a few months’ time.
Darren Bent wants Arsenal to sign N’Golo Kante for free in 2023
Kante has had a torrid time with injuries. He has played just twice so far this season – both of those appearances came in the first two Premier League games of the campaign.
If he can’t put his injuries behind him in the next few months, there’s a chance that Chelsea will let him go when his contract expires next summer.
Bent, however, believes a number of top clubs will try to sign him if he becomes available and has suggested that he would be great for Arsenal as well.
He told talkSPORT: “He’s missed an awful lot of football. He was incredibly durable but since the start of 2020, I think he has missed like 40+ games. That’s a lot of football, but listen, we’re still talking about one of the greats, one of the absolute greats.”
Asked if he would take him at Arsenal, Bent said: “Even at 31 years old, he’s on a free at the end of this season, I would take him.
“I don’t think it would ever happen because for what Arteta’s trying to build, Kante is too old. But look at what he can give you, not as a starter, but someone who’s just in and about the squad. Imagine him and Partey…he is fantastic, he’ll go down as one of the absolute greats.
“If Kante is on a free at the end of this season, there will be top teams around the world that will still be queuing up for his signature.”
Our View:
Arsenal are extremely light in the middle of the park at the moment. Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka are the first-choice starters in central midfield with Albert Sambi Lokonga the first name off the bench to replace either one of them.
Mohamed Elneny is the alternative, but he’s out with a long-term injury.
Arsenal really do need a new man in the middle of the park, and if Kante is fit, he would be an absolutely incredible option for the Gunners alongside Partey.
However, due to his age, it’s extremely unlikely that this will happen.