France midfielder N’Golo Kante joined Chelsea from Premier League champions Leicester for a reported £32million on this day in 2016.
Kante’s only season with the Foxes, following his arrival from Caen the previous summer, saw him play a pivotal role in their title-winning campaign.
He was offered a bumper new contract at the King Power Stadium but opted to leave for Chelsea.
It’s official! Welcome to Chelsea, N’Golo Kante! https://t.co/BRg1Njs5PB #WelcomeKante pic.twitter.com/1gqqQvFPiK
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 16, 2016
“Despite the offer of a substantially improved, long-term contract, it became apparent that N’Golo’s wish was to join Chelsea,” said a Leicester statement.
Kante cited the opportunity to work under then-Blues boss Antonio Conte as a major reason for moving to Stamford Bridge.
“I am so happy to have signed for one of the biggest clubs in Europe. It’s a dream come true for me,” he said.
Chelsea won the Premier League during Kante’s first season in London as the 30-year-old became the first player since Eric Cantona in 1993 to win back‑to-back top-flight titles in England with two clubs.
Kante has also lifted the FA Cup (2018), Europa League (2019) and Champions League (2021) during his time at Stamford Bridge.
