Best Possible Football XI In The World Right Now
5. Centre Midfield: N'Golo Kante
There were few complaints when Chelsea's N'Golo Kante became the 2016/17 PFA Player Of The Year in April. A vital presence in Leicester City's incredible title-winning season, he has since become the most important component of Antonio Conte's resurgent side. He is a relentless, dominant figure in the middle of the park, and if there's a more complete holding midfielder in football, we're yet to see him.
Kante excels at the destructive side of the game. He's an expert at protecting his defence and disrupting opposition attacks with well-timed tackles and interceptions, but he's so much more than a straightforward stopper. The Frenchman is vitally important in initiating attacks from inside his own half, and while his deep-lying position means you wont see him notch many assists, his range of passing is exquisite.
Kante has perfected the Claude Makelele blueprint. It's no coincidence that Chelsea went from mid-table strugglers to all-conquering champions when he arrived on the scene, and his partnership with Nemanja Matic has become the country's most imposing. Assuming his excellence continues (and there's no reason to believe it won't), it won't be long before 'the Makelele role' becomes 'the Kante role.'