Barcelona are closing in on a pre-contract agreement to sign Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante, according to Metro.

Kante’s Chelsea contract expires at the end of the season and the Frenchman can sign a pre-contract with a foreign club in January.

Kante joined Chelsea from Leicester City in 2016 and has won the Premier League title as well as the FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League, Super Cup and Club World Cup.

Kante, who has registered 262 appearances for Chelsea in total, is considered to be one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation but has struggled massively with injuries over the last 18 months and has barely featured.

If he joins the Catalan club, he will link back up with former Chelsea stars Andreas Christensen and Marcos Alonso.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Petit has urged Arsenal to sign Kante in January.

Petit told BoyleSports: “I’d love [N’Golo] 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.”