Just in: Barcelona growing pessimistic about their chances of signing Chelsea legend

Barcelona growing pessimistic about their chances of signing Chelsea legend

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante has been heavily linked with a summer move to Barcelona.  The 31-year-old is out of contract at Stamford Bridge this summer and, as a result, has seen his future become a topic of much discussion in recent weeks.

 Barcelona have been touted as one of the most interested parties in signing Kante.  The Catalan giants are on the lookout for a new pivot midfielder for the summer as question marks linger over Sergio Busquets' continuity.

But considering the club's financial situation, they cannot afford to go big at the moment, leading to links with Kante, who would be available as a free agent in the summer.

 Recent reports even suggested that Barcelona would be in a strong position to sign Kante should he decide not to renew with Chelsea.

 However, according to Toni Juanmarti, Barcelona are now growing pessimistic about their chances of signing Kante in the summer as they believe the player is close to penning a new contract with Chelsea.

 Kante has been hit hard by injuries over the past year or so.  In fact, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has been sidelined since August last year and is expected to be back only at the end of the next month.

Due to the injuries, Barça had been waiting to see how he fares on his return before pushing ahead with their efforts to sign him on a pre-contract.

 It has left the door open for Chelsea to negotiate with Kante.  Although an agreement has not yet been finalized, talks are ongoing and there is a feeling that they will shake hands on a new deal, even though it will likely be a downward renewal.

 But, Juanmarti adds that in case the negotiations fail to bear fruit, Barcelona would be high on Kante's list of preferred destinations, even though he will likely receive a lower salary.

 There has been interest from Al Nassr in recent days, but the Saudi Arabian giants do not appeal to the French international

Having joined Chelsea in 2016 from Leicester City, Kante has won every possible trophy with the club and achieved legendary status at Stamford Bridge.  And, it seems like there is a good chance that his time in west London will not come to an end this summer.