https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/premierleague/1432106/chelsea-target
-ngolo-kante-deserves-to-play-at-a-big-club-says-former-blues-legend-claude
-makelele/
Exclusive By DUNCAN WRIGHT - 12th July 2016, 4:09 pm
CLAUDE MAKELELE says Chelsea target N'Golo Kante deserves to be playing
his football for a top club in Europe.
Kante was one of the driving forces of Leicester's shock march to the
Premier League title last season. But he is now wanted by a string of big
sides after it became clear he has a ￡20million release clause in his
contract ath the King Power Stadium.
And the 25-year-old has been tipped to flourish if he does make a move –
by the player he has been compared to the most for his brilliant displays
in the centre of midfield.
Former Chelsea and Real Madrid star Makelele revelled in his nickname as
the water carrier – doing the dirty work in matches and letting others
take the limelight. And he says Kante has exactly the same qualities.
Makelele said: "I enjoyed the way I had to play, this position made me
happy. My men, I wanted to make them happy, the players behind me happy –
I didn't need to score, the good things came after. This job is very
difficult, but I loved it.
"I don't want N'Golo Kante to be compared with me. Kante can be Kante. I
want him to be more than me, but I love to watch him play because you can
see in him the joy.
"I love the kind of player like that, who plays for the team. Sometimes
you see a team with big players, but for me whenever a team is winning it
is because of spirit.
"He arrived in a good way, now he wants to play in the Champions League.
It's another competition, another stress, just like the national team. He
needs to get everything from every experience. He still has the same way
of playing, the same happiness, but he needs to play in a big team."
Kante is wanted by Makelele's former club Chelsea, who have jumped ahead
of Manchester United in the race for his signature.
United have been tracking him all summer, while Real Madrid are ready to
escalate their interest in him having given up on the fight to sign Paul
Pogba from Juventus.
But they will all face stiff competition to get their man with Chinese
Super League club Shanghai SIPD now hinting they may make an improved bid
themselves.