Declan Rice as N'Golo Kante's replacement? I don't think so
Disclaimer: I'm not writing this to slam Rice. I'm glad he's found his place at West Ham and grown to become an England international. But there are two serious reasons why he can't replace Kante.
1. N'Golo is simply one of the best midfielders in the world. Frank Lampard himself has said as much in a recent interview. The hope is that he won't be suffering as many injuries as he has this season and return to the level of the previous years.
2. Rice is simply a different footballer. If we had to compare him with any Chelsea player, it would be Ethan Ampadu: he's also capable of playing as a centre-back or a defensive midfielder. Kante has been used (rightly or wrongly) in a more advanced role, and it's doubtful whether Rice can replace him there.
I've not even mentioned the outrageous price tag slapped by West Ham, nor the fact that Chelsea will probably have different priorities on the transfer market. It all makes Rice's return to his childhood club even less likely.
Comments
N'Golo is so so good, we should stick to him
kante irreplaceable
not so special defensively but the kid got good game