Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante has revealed that he turned down a move to Manchester United despite receiving a personal call from Jose Mourinho.
The French international was a key part of Claudio Ranieri side’s success last season as Leicester City were crowned Premier League champions, and in turn it was no surprise to see Europe’s top clubs chase him earlier this summer.
While he ultimately opted to make the switch to Stamford Bridge, in a deal worth around £30m, according to BBC Sport, Kante has revealed that he had the option of moving to Old Trafford, but decided to snub Mourinho’s advances.
“It was amazing to have Mourinho call me, even though I’d been warned before how he would appeal to me,” he said, according to The Sun.
“I listened to his arguments about why I should move to United. But at that time I was hesitant between staying at Leicester or leaving for Chelsea.
“My discussions with them were already well underway. But when I spoke, I had a good feeling with Conte.”
The 25-year-old has already settled into an important role at Chelsea, helping Antonio Conte’s men pick up three consecutive league wins to start the campaign.
Meanwhile, United opted to bring in Paul Pogba over the summer, and Kante’s international teammate has played his part in helping the Red Devils also secure three wins in as many games.
Kante’s revelation is interesting in that it says a lot about Conte’s ability to attract top players, with the former Juventus and Italy coach evidently having a major effect on him to ensure that he chose west London over a high profile switch to Old Trafford this summer.
Although it would have naturally been a disappointment for Mourinho to miss out on a key target, the Portuguese tactician will undoubtedly be pleased with his own transfer window as both United and Chelsea now look set to compete for the Premier League title in the coming months.