N'Golo Kante to Arsenal: Leicester fear Gunners will activate £20m release clause to sign midfielder

Kante is belieevd to have a £20m release clause in his contract and has caught the eye of Arsene Wenger this season

N'Golo Kante is a reported transfer target for Arsenal (Getty)

N’Golo Kante’s release clause is causing officials at Leicester City to fear an offer from Arsenal this summer could result in the midfielder leaving the club after enjoying a Premier League title-winning breakthrough season.

Kante joined Leicester at the start of the season for what appears to be a bargain £5.6m, with the 25-year-old quickly developing into one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League last season.

He celebrated the recent title success with a Euro 2016 call-up from France manager Didier Deschamps, but The Mirror claim there is a fear at the King Power Stadium that all the attention he has received this season could lead to an offer from Arsenal that will meet his £20m release clause and leave them powerless to prevent Kante leaving in the summer.

Arsenal are in the market for new players during the transfer window, with manager Arsene Wenger admitting he wants to sign “two to three players” in a bid to go one better next season and convert their runners-up place into a first title success in 13 years.

Kante has not spoken of his future publicly, but there are fears that the allure of working with his compatriot in Wenger could be enough to tempt him to the Emirates. Arsenal have been in talks with Borussia Monchengladbach over a move for Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka, but Kante remains on their radar and the deal for the Leicester star would be considerably cheaper than the £35m being demanded for Xhaka.