Emmanuel Petit: Declan Rice Is Perfect Kante Replacement For Chelsea

on December 12, 2022 at 12:53 pm

Declan Rice is the perfect fit to replace N’Golo Kanté at Chelsea according to former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit.

We got the chance to catch up with Petit recently and the Frenchman had plenty of interesting thoughts on the Premier League and what action we might see in the January transfer window.

Check out the interview below!

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Should a big club snap up N’Golo Kante when he’s a free agent in the summer?

I’d love Kante to go to Arsenal and I think he wants to stay in London, so they should take their chance.

I also think Barcelona want to sign him in January but he suits Arsenal and they need a player who has a winning mentality.

I’m surprised Chelsea do not want to give him a new contract but maybe they know something we don’t, perhaps a medical issue.

Anyway, any club would be lucky to have Kante – it’s Kante!

When you have guys like this – so humble and professional – you have to have leaders like this in the dressing room.

Are you confident Wesley Fofana will be a success?

Fofana is such a big talent and he was always going to need at least a year to settle at Chelsea.

His injury hasn’t helped but if he gets back playing and Chelsea start winning games he can definitely even make it in the France national team.

France have so many quality defenders. Upamecano, Saliba, Konate and Kimpembe but I think Fofana isn’t far off their level.

He’s such a strong defender he just needs time.

Christian Pulisic need to move away from Chelsea, he’s too good to be sitting on the bench

You could see with Pulisic like he was playing with revenge. He was so good for the USA and he deserves to play regularly at another club.

I think he’s the exact kind of player that Arsenal need. Now that Gabriel Jesus is out I think he’d be a great option.

Just like Hakim Ziyech, you can see his head is not with Chelsea right now and seeing them both miserable – they don’t deserve it.

Both players have played so well and I can see Milan probably want Ziyech and will bid for him in January.

Is Weston McKennie a good option for Chelsea if Kante leaves?

McKennie is a good player and did a good job for USA at the World Cup, but there’s only one player in that position who Chelsea need and that is Rice.

Rice is brilliant but I feel he’s being held back and is struggling to get to the next level at West Ham.

Rice needs to play the best game every weekend and I have respect for West Ham but he needs to play with the best players every week.

He’s improved so much but he’s struggling to get to the next stage. He must play Champions League football.

If Kante goes, they have to go for Rice.

Gabriel Jesus is out for three months, is that title race over for Arsenal?

I’m so sad for Jesus, honestly. He’s been doing a great job for Arsenal.

I love watching him smile on the pitch and he has fit perfectly with Arteta and Arsenal.

They need reinforcements in the transfer market.

There was talk about Goncalo Ramos and although he scored a hat-trick against Switzerland, I think it’s too early.

He didn’t have any impact against Morocco. No headers, no runs, no hold up. He disappeared on the pitch yesterday and I think he’s a good player, he’s doing a good job at Benfica but he’s not my first option.

Zaha from Palace, Saint-Maximin from Newcastle or Pulisic from Chelsea would be my three they should target.

Pulisic will fit perfectly with that Arteta wants, he loves playing one-touch football with good movement and he lives in London so it will be an easy switch.