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Liverpool: N’Golo Kante move ‘would be a huge risk’

By Chloe Chadwick

Posted on 5 February 2023, 21:10

A summer move for N’Golo Kante ‘would be a huge risk’ for Liverpool, according to BBC radio pundit Paul Robinson.

The Lowdown: Uncertain future for Kante

The Premier League veteran will be out of contract at Chelsea at the end of the season, and having not yet put pen to paper on fresh terms in west London, his future is up in the air.

Liverpool have been credited with an interest in the 31-year-old, who is currently set to become a free agent in five months’ time, as Jurgen Klopp looks to freshen up his midfield ranks ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

However, the Frenchman has reportedly held talks over extending his stay with the Blues, with the two parties confident of reaching an agreement, and one observers believes that such a development would actually be of benefit to the Merseyside club.

The Latest: Robinson’s comments

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson urged Liverpool not to pursue a deal for Kante due to his unenviable injury record and high wages, with the midfielder currently earning £290,000 per week.

The former England goalkeeper said in relation to the Reds’ reported interest in the Chelsea man: “There would be a huge risk to signing Kante. They already have one injury-prone midfielder in Naby Keita. You cannot take on a player like Kante given his injury record. Yes, he is a free agent but he will demand a lot in wages.

“I suspect there is a lot of agent talk in this one. The player is coming to the end of his contract and is not playing week in, week out so his agent will be putting the feelers out.

“There is a whole lot of change going on at Chelsea. A lot of players have come in. Kante probably is going to leave at the end of the season but I question as to whether Liverpool should go for him.

“He is coming towards the end of his career and has injury problems. Liverpool do not need to be signing that kind of player. It would be no more than a stop-gap.”

The Verdict: Don’t do it…

Kante has been dubbed a ‘world class’ player by his former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, and as a one-time PFA Player of the Year his talent is undeniable, but we agree with Robinson that Liverpool would be well advised to avoid moving for him, even on a free transfer.

The Parisian has missed the majority of this season with a hamstring injury, and considering that at 31 he is now seen as an older, more experienced option, he could only become even more liable to sustaining fitness problems moving forward.

The Reds are believed to be targeting the likes of Jude Bellingham and Matheus Nunes to rejuvenate their midfield this summer, and it’s important that Klopp sticks with this strategy of approaching younger players who would shape the long-term future at Anfield, rather than moving for quick fixes.