Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante has committed his future to the North London side by signing a new long-term contract, a deal which is thought to be worth up to £290,000 a week over the next five years.
Talks have been ongoing since the summer amid long-standing interest in the 27-year-old midfielder from Ligue 1 giants, Paris Saint-Germain.
‘I’m happy to extend my time with Chelsea, it has been two beautiful years and I wish for more to come,’ Kante said after signing new terms.
‘Since I came, I completely improved as a player, challenged myself and got some awards I never thought about. I like the city, I like the club and I am happy to be here for more time.’
Chelsea won the race against PSG to sign Kante from newly-crowned champions Leicester for £32million in the summer of 2016.
In his first season at the club, he helped bring the title to Stamford Bridge and was named FWA Footballer of the Year.
This year, the midfielder was integral to the France team as they won the World Cup in Russia.
Kante has been continually linked with a move to French champions Paris Saint-Germain
It has been a phenomenal rise for a player who was signed by Leicester for £5.6m from Caen only three-and-a-half years ago.
This season, he has adjusted quickly to the tactical demands of a new role on the right side of a midfield trio in order to accommodate new £56m signing Jorginho.
Kante is one of seven players to start each of the opening 12 Premier League games under new boss Maurizio Sarri.
His current Chelsea contract which runs until 2021 was among those exposed this month via the Football Leak.
According to French investigative news site Mediapart, he was paid a net salary of £4.5m a year and refused to have a percentage paid as image rights into an offshore company in Jersey because he was concerned about paying the right amount of tax.
