N'Golo Kante to Manchester United: Could surprise swoop be just what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs?

N'Golo Kante has been linked with a shock move to Manchester United. Is he exactly what the club needs to sufficiently protect a fragile defence?

Despite Frank Lampard insisting the midfielder is very much part of his plans, Kante could be seen as a potential money-maker for Chelsea, given how much they have spent in this transfer window.

The 29-year-old is also attracting interest from Inter Milan, managed by former Stamford Bridge manager Antonio Conte. It appears that Chelsea, who have spent more than £200 million in this transfer window, are prepared to allow Kante to leave for the right offer.

The Daily Mirror are reporting that Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer is a long-time admirer of the abrasive all-action player. He believes the France star would add extra muscle to an defensive midfield options, even though new arrival Donny van de Beek can play there. The Mirror are also claiming contact has been made with Kante's advisors, but any deal is dependent on him taking a big cut on his £300,000-a-week wages.

At 29, Kante's days as a sellable asset are running out. Clubs will only be willing to pay big money for the high octane midfielder for another year or so, so if United are willing to pay upwards of £40m for Kante, a deal could make sense, financially, for Chelsea, especially given the difficult market at the moment.

United are reasonably well stocked in midfield, but they need to start addressing just how vulnerable they are looking defensively. Central defensive additions this transfer window are a must, but someone with the defensive stats that Kante brings, who can offer so much protection in front of the back four, should also at least be considered.

He would go against what the club are trying to do at the moment - look at more long-term additions - but the chaos on the south coast against Brighton on Saturday shows just how desperate United are for defensive improvement.

Selling to a rival is not normally good practice but in this current climate, if United are the only option, selling a 29-year-old for good money on the back of Chelsea's outlay this summer, could turn out to be very sensible indeed.