Chelsea 'close to finalising new N'Golo Kante deal'

Chelsea have reportedly close to finalising a new long-term contract for midfielder N'Golo Kante.

The France international has spent almost the entire season on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, the issue sustained during the second match of the season versus Tottenham Hotspur.

However, having undergone surgery to try to rectify the issue, Kante has recently returned to training in the hope of featuring in the coming weeks.

The World Cup winner's latest fitness problems have occurred at a time when Chelsea are going through a period of transition both on and off the pitch.

Kante has also been in the final year of his contract, making it plausible that the club's new owners may have been keen to get a big earner over the age of 30 off the wage bill.

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Furthermore, Kante has also had the option of signing a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club, as well as being aware that he has admirers in the Premier League.

Nevertheless, it has been suggested for a number of weeks that the 31-year-old has always indicated that his preference is to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge.

The sticking point has allegedly been the length of any new deal, with it being claimed at one stage that Kante wanted longer terms than Chelsea were prepared to offer.

According to Footmercato journalist Santi Aouna, a resolution has been found where all parties are happy to progress with a new deal.

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Aouna states that Chelsea are prepared to hand Kante at least a three-year contract, potentially with the option of a further 12 months.

Like has become the norm under a consortium headed by Todd Boehly, longer contracts have been given to spread out the cost with regards to FFP.

The report adds that only minor details remain before Chelsea hope to make the development official, handing the club a much-needed boost after a dire spell on the pitch.

The West Londoners hope to have Kante available to play some part of the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund on March 7.