N'Golo Kante is set to leave Chelsea this summer with the Frenchman completing his Al Ittihad medical earlier this week, and the Blues will need to replace him in the squad
Chelsea will need to replace the outgoing N'Golo Kante after the 32-year-old agreed a £172million contract to sign for Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad. The Frenchman completed a medical earlier this week ahead of his move to join fellow countryman Karim Benzema in the middle-east.
Pochettino wants to sign a new central midfielder at Stamford Bridge - as reported by football.london last month - but now it seems he will need at least two more additions in that area of the pitch. Kante's departure comes as a huge blow despite the French midfielder missing the majority of the 2022/23 campaign through injury.
Paris Saint-Germain had offered Ugarte a much higher salary with the Uruguayan midfielder looking set to make a move to the French capital this summer. With a deal for Ugarte now off and Kante set to leave Chelsea, football.london takes a look at three options Pochettino could pursue as he aims to find a perfect partner for Enzo Fernandez.
Romeo Lavia
Khephren Thuram
Khephren Thuram has impressed for OGC Nice in France and has been linked with a move to the Premier League this summer. Liverpool are among the clubs to register an interest in Thuram, but Chelsea could potentially look to the Frenchman as a replacement for Kante.
The 22-year-old played 46 times for Nice last season, with 17 of those games coming from defensive midfield, while he has plied his trade a bit more often as a box-to-box midfielder. His physicality and technical ability make him a suitable partner for Enzo in Chelsea's midfield and he may be available for a fee in the region of £40million this summer.
Manu Kone
Speaking out his future earlier this year, Kone told Le Parisien: "Interest of PSG? You know that I am Parisien, I was born and trained here. There is a logical link.
"But whether it's Paris or another club doesn't matter to me. I just want to play. If I have to leave, I'll think about playing as priority."
Pochettino will need to have a clear idea on how to fit Kone into his squad before making a move to sign him - if he believes the 22-year-old can replace Kante in the first team.