"They are part of the DNA of the club" - Florent Malouda urges Chelsea to renew contract of 2 key players
Former Chelsea midfielder Florent Malouda has urged the club hierarchy to renew the contracts of N'Golo Kante and Mason Mount amid interest from Premier League rivals.
Since arriving from Leicester City in the 2016-17 season, Kante has been an integral part of Chelsea's midfield. He has made over 260 appearances, scoring 13 goals. He has also helped them win multiple trophies, including the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.
However, Kante has only featured five times for the Blues this season after a seven-month hiatus due to a hamstring injury. Chelsea have missed out on his presence and are currently languishing in 11th place in the Premier League table with just 39 points.
N'Golo Kante is a free agent this summer with the likes of Arsenal reportedly interested in signing him to bolster their squad. He is yet to commit his future to the club.
Mason Mount has also been an instrumental midfielder since his debut for Chelsea in the 2019-20 season under Lampard. He has made over 190 appearances, scoring 33 goals.
However, he struggled with form and injury under Graham Potter this season and was sparingly used, making only 23 appearances.
Mount's contract expires in the summer of 2024 and, like Kante, hasn't signed a new deal yet. With the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United reportedly interested, he could be headed for a summer exit.
Florent Malouda hopes this isn't the case and has urged the Blues to renew their contracts (via METRO):
"I believe that they (Mount and Kante) are part of the DNA of the club, they’ve been there for a long time and have been very successful."
He added:
"Mason Mount is from the academy and loves the club. Two years left on his contract is not a big deal for me, because the main thing for the club will be the players performance level and he always gives everything in a Chelsea shirt.
"Take the example of Mbappe. He was out of contract at PSG last summer and he renewed his contract. If you want to stay somewhere, financially it is not an issue, it is more about the project and your role within that."
Florent Malouda believes Chelsea have a chance against Real Madrid in UCL second leg
The Blues were emphatically defeated 2-0 by Real Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday, April 12.
When asked if Chelsea had a chance of coming back in the second leg, Malouda responded (via METRO):
"If you don’t believe at the top level of sport… things will go your way, that’s a percentage of the game, the mindset and believe. The fans will come and support us. We’re realistic."
He added:
"We’re 2-0 down against Real Madrid, that’s fact now, that’s done. I’ve been involved in games that change. We’re in a different place now and maybe that’s a good thing.
"We’re in a place where we want to prove things wrong, change the tone, change the story."
The second leg of the quarter-final clash will take place on April 18 at Stamford Bridge.