Chelsea have announced N’Golo Kante has put pen to paper on a new five-year deal running until the summer of 2023.
Kante still had three years remaining on his previous deal but Chelsea have moved to secure his long-term future amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
The deal is particularly important as Chelsea are in danger of being hit with a transfer ban in the near future and Kante is one of their best players.
Chelsea have rewarded Kante with reported wages of £290,000-a-week to make the 2018 World Cup winner the best-paid player in the club’s history.
“We are delighted N’Golo has signed a new contract and sees his long-term future with Chelsea,” club director Marina Granovskaia told Chelsea’s official website.
“When he arrived, we knew he had signed a special player but he has astounded everybody with his tireless and unselfish displays.
“Off the pitch, he remains a dedicated professional and a humble human being despite the fact he is a world champion and a two-time Premier League winner. We now look forward to five more years with N’Golo at the heart of Chelsea’s midfield.”
Kante is best known for his outstanding work as a defensive midfielder but his role has changed at Chelsea this season following the arrival of Jorginho.
Maurizio Sarri has converted Kante into a box-to-box midfielder, moving the 27-year-old from his central berth.
This has had an incredible impact of his defensive output in the Premier League, with tackles and interceptions per game way down on his usual numbers from recent campaigns.
Despite not being asked to carry out his defensive duties to the same degree this season, Kante has still completed the most tackles and interceptions combined (770) in the Premier League since August 2015.
