Kante reveals Champions league dream, Madrid close to sign £160,000-a-week Chelsea winger, as £105 million La Liga superstar opens up to Chelsea move
Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante believes his side have created the perfect platform to knock Real Madrid out and progress to the Champions League finals this season.
Kante was named man of the match for a heroic performance against Los Blancos in the first leg of their Champions League tie. Chelsea dominated Real Madrid for much of the game but could only come away with a 1-1 draw.
Christian Pulisic gave Chelsea the lead on the night. Real Madrid leveled the scoreline thanks to a well-taken goal from talismanic striker Karim Benzema. Chelsea dominated proceedings for much of the game but were left to rue several missed chances.
Chelsea host Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge next week and will look to make use of their home advantage to progress to the finals of the Champions League for the first time in nine years.
N’Golo Kante was satisfied with his side’s performance and feels that Chelsea have a good chance of reaching Istanbul.
“We are happy for the result. Coming into this game, we knew we’d be playing against a great team and we wanted to leave with a good result so we would have the momentum ahead of the second leg at home,” said Kante in a post-match press conference.
Speaking about the result, Kante said:
“I think overall 1-1 is a fair result. We had many chances that we didn’t score but we can be happy with the draw. We are looking forward to playing at home and hopefully qualifying for the final”
Kante asserted that the job is not finished, and that Chelsea will need to remain focused. He also took away several positives from the 1-1 draw at the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano.
“We need to take the positives from this game. Yes, we could have scored more goals from the chances we created, but the main thing is we were creating the opportunities to score and that is a positive sign. For sure, reaching the final is a goal and it is possible for us now. We have to be fully focused on the second leg when it comes, because we are playing against a very strong opponent.”
Madrid close to sign £160,000-a-week Chelsea winger
Christian Pulisic has emerged on the radar of Real Madrid over a potential move in the summer transfer window. Los Blancos consider the Chelsea forward as a strategic addition, on both sporting and economic fronts.
USA international joined the London giants from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2019 and has since endured a roller-coaster of a ride at Chelsea. In his maiden campaign with Chelsea, Pulisic proved to be a crucial footballer as they finished inside the top four while reaching the FA Cup final.
The ongoing season, though, has been a tough one, as Christian had to overcome a spate of injuries before initially becoming a bit-part player under the German manager.
In the past month or so, however, the 22-year-old winger has become a regular for Thomas Tuchel and was in his elements as Chelsea held Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw in the UCL semi-final first leg.
Indeed, the American winger has scored some important goals for the Blues in the second half of the campaign and it looks like he has won the German manager over. His progress, though, has alerted La Liga giants, who kept a close watch on him during the aforementioned UCL tie.
The interest in Christian makes sense for Real Madrid, who have been linked with several wide forwards, including Raheem Sterling and others, ahead of the summer transfer window. Lucas Vazquez is facing an uncertain future at the club and could depart as a free agent this summer.
To that end, Christian is a viable target for Los Blancos, although it is not only on the sporting front that the Blues winger could prove to be appealing.
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper and Chelsea target Jan Oblak has left the door open to a possible Premier League move.
Oblak has established himself as one of the top keepers in Europe since joining Atletico from Benfica in 2014, attracting a long list of high-profile admirers in the process.
Despite having the impressive Edouard Mendy between the sticks, it is believed that Tuchel will still look to acquire some funds in the transfer window and add a more established stopper to the line-up, with Oblak a top target for some time now.
“The Premier League has strong teams. Maybe the strongest. But I think in the end it is what the coach is asking of you. You listen to his instructions,” the Atletico goalkeeper said during an interview with European football expert Guillem Balague.
“You are one of the 11, so you do what he asks of you. All the players on the pitch are thinking like that. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Premier League, Italian league, Spanish league, wherever you go you need to do what the coach is asking you to do.”
Asked if he can picture himself playing in the Premier League, Oblak added: “I don’t know. I don’t know what the future will bring, but I am sure that in any league I would play I could play well. You never know what will happen in the future.
“Now I have been in Spain for seven years. Let’s see. I’m still young. Not so young anymore, but I still have some years in front of me.
“The most important thing for me is the hope that I do not suffer any injuries. Let’s see what the future will bring.”
Look, at the end of the day, if there is a chance to sign Oblak, the club should take it.