Barcelona consider shock move for Chelsea icon Kante this summer

Barcelona could be making a shock move for a two-time Premier League winner and Chelsea icon, ahead of the new season.

Reports say Barca's new head coach, Hansi Flick, is looking to bolster his midfield options – but only if they can manage to secure the player at a cut price.

Flick believes the French international and World Cup winner could be the ideal solution to shoring up his midfield defensively, with a loan-signing being the preferred option.

Barcelona's sporting director, Deco, may be looking to make a deal ahead of the new season happen. It's been a busy summer of activity so far at Barcelona, which could see Nico Williams and Dani Olmo join the club before the La Liga kicks-off in August.

The player at the centre of the rumours, of course, is former Leicester and Chelsea defensive midfielder, N'Golo Kante.

Kante now plays for Saudi team, Al-Ittihad, after leaving Chelsea last summer after seven seasons.

Barcelona were consistently linked with the Frenchman throughout his tenure at Chelsea, but failed to make a move for him last summer, as he swapped Stamford Bridge for the Saudi Pro League.

Reports in Sport say Al-Ittihad are not willing to part with the 33-year-old this summer, having already rejected an approach from West Ham United who wanted to sign Kante on a permanent deal.

Kante won the Premier League in consecutive seasons for Leicester in 2015-16 and Chelsea in 2016-17, becoming the first player to do so since Eric Cantona in 1992 and 1993.

He etched his way into the annals of Chelsea's history, winning virtually every major club prize and competition – bar a League Cup – in the seven seasons he spent at Stamford Bridge.

Personal honours at Chelsea included PFA Players' Player of the Year, Premier League Player of the Season, FWA Footballer of the Year and Chelsea Players' Player of the Year, all for his performances through the west London club's league-winning 2016-17 season.

He was awarded Chelsea Player of the Year the following season in 2017-18, as well as France's Player of the Year for 2017, and a World Cup winner in 2018.