Chelsea boss Frank Lampard says there is zero chance the club will sell N’Golo Kante to fund moves for Kai Havertz or Ben Chilwell.
The Blues announced the acquisition of Timo Werner on Thursday, but reports claim the club are not done there.
Owner Roman Abramovich reportedly wants two marquee signings this summer and impending arrival Hakim Ziyech is not among them.
Reports say Chelsea want Bayer Leverkusen’s star midfielder Havertz and Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell.
Indeed, one claim said the Blues could offload up to 13 players to fund the moves, with Kante top of the list.
However, Lampard said in Friday’s press conference that the Real Madrid-linked Frenchman is going nowhere.
“In terms of N’Golo, I’ve seen some talk and reports about him and his future at the club,” the manager said (via The Guardian).
“I’ve said it a lot of times about N’Golo – one of the best midfield players in the world. I would have loved to be able to play with him. He has everything.
“Coming back to Chelsea and having N’Golo Kante is something I really want to appreciate and work with. Because of injuries it’s been tough for N’Golo.
“It’s nice to see him a little bit fresh. N’Golo is so important to us going forward. We need him regularly and hopefully we’ll have that now.”
Kante has only played 18 Premier League games this season, missing the other 11 through injury.
And the World Cup winner’s best run of form saw him score two goals in three games in September and October.
LAMPARD, CHELSEA RETURN ON SUNDAY
Chelsea’s pursuit of a top-four finish resumes on Sunday when they play Aston Villa away from home.
However, the Blues have a poor recent away record, not winning in four attempts so far this year.
Indeed, the club’s last win on the road came against Arsenal in December.
Villa, meanwhile, are in relegation trouble with eight games remaining to save their season.
READ MORE: Lampard on Tammy Abraham, Timo Werner competition
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