Chelsea advised on Kante's contract situation amid Arsenal speculation

Former Chelsea star Florent Malouda has called on the club to tie N’Golo Kante to a long-term deal amid speculation Arsenal are interested.

The Frenchman has been reduced to a peripheral role at Stamford Bridge in recent times despite injury issues as uncertainty surrounds his future.

The midfielder will be a free agent in the summer, and reports indicate that he will sign a deal with Arsenal, which is speculated to be interested in him.

"I believe that they [Mason Mount and Kante] are part of the DNA of the club, they’ve been there for a long time and have been very successful," Malouda said.

"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."

Kante played for more than an hour against Real Madrid in a quarter-final Champions League clash at the Santiago Bernabeu. 

Chelsea lost by a 2-0 margin, and Malouda is confident his former club can overturn the deficit in the return leg.

"We’re 2-0 down against Real Madrid, that’s a 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," he concluded.

"We’re in a place where we want to prove things wrong, change the tone, and change the story."