N’Golo Kante has revealed he left Leicester City to join Chelsea because they are a ‘champion club’.
The France international was an integral member of the Leicester side which stormed to the Premier League title last term after only losing three games all season.
Kante’s impressive form led to a move from Chelsea in the summer and the 25- year-old joined the Blues for £30million in July.
And the in-form midfielder has explained his reasons for leaving the Foxes and heading to Stamford Bridge.
‘The year I spent there, it’s going to stay in my mind,’ Kante told the Sunday Times.
‘I always remember this day of May 2, we’re all together at Jamie’s [Vardy] house and see Chelsea play against Tottenham and it goes from 2-0 to 2-2 and we were champions.
‘At Leicester we wanted to win and not lose and to fight for every minute. At Chelsea it’s the same.
‘But the difference is Chelsea is a champion club, who have won everything and there are champion players. At Leicester for nearly everyone it was the first time.’
Meanwhile, Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp has claimed that the acquisition of “serial match-winner” Kante has been key to Chelsea‘s title challenge this season.
Chelsea are currently top of the Premier League, with their 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace extending the club’s winning run in the Premier League to eleven games.
Kante was of fundamental importance for Leicester City in their remarkable title success last season and Redknapp believes that the Frenchman has helped to transform Chelsea’s fortunes this campaign.
Redknapp told Sky Sports: “They’re 25 points better off that this time last year. It’s incredible. He (Conte) hasn’t just changed the system, he’s changed the mindset.
“He’s got players back onside, back into that frame of mind that they believe that they can play well again.
“There’s only one player that they’ve brought in that’s changed things and that’s Kante- he’s a serial match-winner that man. He’s proved it at Leicester and now obviously at Chelsea. The change of system is one thing but also the change of mentality, and that’s what they’ve done – they’ve got a team that knows how to win titles.”
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