Chelsea are reportedly struggling to reach a compromise over the terms of a proposed new deal for N'Golo Kante.
Throughout his time at Stamford Bridge, Kante has been regarded as one of the best players in world football, playing key roles in Premier League, Champions League and World Cup triumphs.
However, the 31-year-old has also been plagued by injuries, his latest hamstring issue keeping him sidelined since the second weekend of the season.
According to football.london, the France international is pushing to make a return to team training as early as this week, marginally ahead of schedule.
Regardless of when Kante features again in a competitive fixture, it has been widely suggested that the club's hierarchy remain keen to negotiate a new contract.
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As it stands, the former Leicester City man's deal is due to expire at the end of the season, and there will be no shortage of takers if Kante comes onto the market.
Nevertheless, Kante is said to be settled in London and would preferably like to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge into an eighth year and beyond.
For that to occur, the Evening Standard claims that the relevant parties must resolve their differences at the negotiating table.
The report states that Chelsea are currently only prepared to hand Kante a two-year extension with the option of a further 12 months.
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From the perspective of the player, he is said to want his terms to last until 2026, as well as there being the possibility of another year being added on at a later date.
Although the relevant parties are likely to push for a compromise, it appears that talks may be drawn out for a number of weeks rather than there being a quick resolution.
Chelsea are already well stocked in the middle of the pitch with Enzo Fernandez having recently joined Mateo Kovacic, Conor Gallagher, Denis Zakaria, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Carney Chukwuemeka as options for Graham Potter.
Chelsea also want to add Andrey Santos to the mix as soon as possible but they are yet to secure a work permit for the Brazilian prospect.
Darren Plant
