Leicester City's unprecedented Premier League title win last season turned N'Golo Kante into a sought-after player across European football. The French midfielder ultimately ended up in Stamford Bridge, where he is looking increasingly likely to add another league title to his trophy cabinet. Things could've turned out very differently, though: Kante has now confirmed that Arsenal made an approach for him during last year's summer transfer window. The Gunners were, of course, also linked with Leicester duo Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, but the pair opted to instead remain at the King Power Stadium.
Kante has further revealed the reason he chose the Blues over the Gunners.
Kante: Arsenal's interest wasn't as big as Chelsea's
After a devastating 3:0 defeat at the Emirates, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte switched to his preferred 3-4-3 formation and has subsequently brought out the best in many of his star players, including Kante. The 26-year-old's tireless efforts and electrifying mobility have undoubtedly been a key part of Chelsea's title charge this season. And while Vardy and Mahrez took most of the credit for Leicester's surprising title win, many now believe that Kante was, in fact, the real reason the Foxes ended up on top of the Premier League last season. Leicester's immediate slump in form after Kante's departure certainly seems to suggest so.
This raises the question of whether Arsenal would be on top of the league right now had Kante ended up at the Emirates instead of Stamford Bridge. Speaking with Sky Sports, Kante revealed that he chose the Blues over the Gunners, because Arsenal's interest in him was "not as big as other clubs."
Wenger tried to sign Kante twice
Back in February, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admitted in a press conference that he was a huge admirer of Kante.
Furthermore, the Frenchman revealed that he first tried to sign the midfielder when he was still playing for Caen in Ligue 2. He then added that Kante has played a major role in both Leicester City's and Chelsea's success stories, saying: "I believe Kante has had a huge impact. It's no coincidence Chelsea are where they are and Leicester did what they did last season."
With the Gunners once again going through their annual collapse in the league, many Arsenal supporters are probably wondering what could've been had Wenger signed Kante last summer - especially considering the measly price of £30 million that Chelsea paid for his services.