With just under 12 months remaining on his current Chelsea deal, here is the latest regarding N'Golo Kante's future at the club.
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According to the Daily Mail, the Blues are at serious risk of losing Kante on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Contract talks between the player's representatives and the club are said to have stalled in the wake of the Todd Boehly-led consortium's takeover of the west London club.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner, 31, reportedly wants a four-year extension to sign a new deal, one akin to the handed to Kalidou Koulibaly, who is the same age.
However, the current regime is understood to be wary of giving the defensive midfielder such a lengthy contract given his recent injury record.
In the past three seasons, the France international has played no more than 30 league matches in a campaign, and given the wages he is already on, the club apparently feels the risk of extending may not be worth the return on the investment.
Despite his recent injury record, though, Kante is arguably still among the best defensive midfielders in world football and has proved effective while on the pitch, with a good example of his industry coming in Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur earlier this season.
His injuries have persisted into this campaign, however – after that London derby, the ex-Leicester City man missed the subsequent 10 matches.
The same report suggests that Paris Saint-Germain retain a large interest in the midfielder, and would be free to negotiate a pre-contract with him come January.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea's clash against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, manager Graham Potter refused to speculate about the Frenchman's future.
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"My focus is to help him rehabilitate in a good way so he is available for us," the 47-year-old said.
"When on the pitch, he is a huge asset for us. The other stuff (contract talks) is between the club and him.
"It's hard to replace someone like him. He is a world-class player and any team that loses him will suffer a little bit.
"But it's up to the other players to take the step up and find the solutions."
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