Leicester have been excellent this season and have a good chance of challenging for the title until the very end. They have been transformed from relegation strugglers into championship contenders in a short amount of time. The appointment of Claudio Ranieri has played a big part, as he has introduced a genuine tactical plan, which has been executed to perfection. The most impressive thing about the Italian is that he has looked at the squad and tried to implement a style of play that suits the players that he inherited. He then moved to make a few signings to make sure his tactical approach could be successfully implemented, which led to the transfer of N’Golo Kante, who has been a revelation since moving to Leicester.
Kante has formed a dynamic partnership with Danny Drinkwater, which has laid the foundations for the team’s success. The pair are full of energy and cover every blade of grass. This is coupled with an excellent ability to retrieve the ball, which is crucial to Leicester’s style of play. The midfielder cost the club around £5.6m, an incredible price for a player that would cost at least four times that now. He is proof that there is still incredible talent across Europe that isn’t well known and that will be a boost for every Premier League club outside the traditional top six.
The Frenchman has made the most interceptions and tackles in the league this season, with 109 and 108 respectively. This is an incredible feat, for a player who was plying his trade in Ligue 2 just two years ago. He has also won the most tackles with 79, showing that he is successful more often than not when he attempts to win the ball back. Kante is showing that there is much more to being a ball winning midfielder than just sitting in front of the back four, as he likes to be aggressive and win the ball high up the pitch. This is perfect for Leicester’s high octane game, and has led to a lot of goals this season.
Kante was named Man of the Match by Sky Sports, despite ending the match on the losing team and that highlights his quality. Arsenal struggled to create clear cut chances until Danny Simpson was sent off, and a big reason for that was the exceptional midfield performances of Kante and his partner Danny Drinkwater. He looks set to feature in the league’s team of the year at the end of the season and he could yet be a surprise inclusion in the French squad for the summer. Didier Deschamps would be foolish if he didn’t consider the midfield warrior.
Leicester have proven to every side in the top flight that it’s still possible to challenge at the very top of the league on a much smaller budget than the top sides. Kante has been central to that and he has allowed the likes of Drinkwater, Vardy and Mahrez to move onto the next level. Kante has a big future in football and Leicester will be hoping their club can continue to progress in order to keep the midfielder happy.
