Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante would "love to stay" at Stamford Bridge beyond the summer transfer window but is about to receive a huge £86m salary offer, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

When is Kante out of contract at Chelsea?

The Frenchman has been an incredible servant for the Blues, arriving back in 2016 and going on to make 269 appearances so far, as well as win the Champions League and Premier League once apiece.

Kante suffered a frustrating 2022/23 season for Chelsea, with injuries constantly curtailing his progress, ultimately limiting him to just six starts in the league and only seven appearances in the competition in total.

Worryingly, the 32-year-old's current contract expires at the end of this month, so the Blues are really running out of time to agree an extension with him. A move away has been mooted, but the hope is that an agreement is reached in the next few weeks.

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Does a new deal for Kante look likely?

Taking to Twitter, Romano gave an update on Kante's situation, admitting that a new deal isn't close to being agreed, but that he wants to remain at the club:

"N’Golo Kante situation remains open as he’d love to stay at Chelsea but talks are not advancing to final stages after being close to full agreement in March.

"Understand Al Ittihad and Al Nassr are the two Saudi clubs who are ready to tempt Kante for new experience."

Romano later revealed however that Saudi emissaries have flown to London to offer the player a package worth "€100m (£86m) inclusive of the image rights & commercial deals".

Kante's future simply has to be sorted in a positive manner before the month reaches its conclusion, considering he still has so much to offer as a footballer. Granted, his injury issues have been problematic and he is now in his 30s, but he is a physical machine who can still cover ground at will, when fit. That is highlighted by an average of 2.3 tackles per game across his aforementioned seven Premier League appearances this season.

Kante has been hailed as "world-class" by former Chelsea teammate Cesc Fabregas in the recent past, so to suddenly lose him this month would be a massive blow, considering he still has some years left in him at the top level. He would have to accept that a long-term extension is not called for, of course, and the fact that he seems so desperate to stay is perhaps the only positive amidst the huge bid from the Saudi clubs.

The 53-cap France international can still be the perfect foil for younger midfielders like Enzo Fernandez next season, as well as hopefully some new signings, not necessarily starting every game but being managed carefully by Mauricio Pochettino.