N’Golo Kante says the first player he would sign if he was made Chelsea manager is former captain John Terry.
Speaking to Chelsea’s official app, The 5th Stand , Kante was asked about his dream signing if he were to replace Frank Lampard as Blues head coach tomorrow – although he was also allowed to select retired players.
The French midfielder said: “I’d probably say John Terry because when I came to Chelsea, he was the figure of the club and knows what it means to be here.
“I knew all about him from a young age and he helped the club very well.”
Terry, who is currently an assistant coach at Aston Villa, left Stamford Bridge in 2017 after making 717 appearances and captaining the Blues to five Premier League titles.
The former centre-back was still at the club when Kante joined from Leicester City, with Chelsea going on to win the title in the Frenchman’s first season.
The midfielder is a key part of Frank Lampard’s long term plans, but his excellent form over the last few seasons has attracted reported interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus.
Speaking in an interview with French outlet Telefoot , Kante hinted that his long term future lies with the west London club.
“Of course [I could finish my career at Chelsea], today I am with Chelsea until 2023,” he said.
So, in my head, I hope to continue to have great seasons with Chelsea until 2023.”
But when asked if he could see himself playing abroad, he said: “No, not really.
“When I arrived at Chelsea, I was at Leicester and I had just won my first title with a club. Today at Chelsea, I have had three wonderful years winning titles. I think that it is a club that has helped me a lot and I hope that I will be able to win a lot more titles here.”