Chelsea can't gift Manchester United their own Neymar with Thomas Tuchel stance clear

"I think he is our key, key, key player, but key, key, key players need to be on the pitch," replied Thomas Tuchel when asked about N'Golo Kante's form and fitness in 2022. "Given he's played only 40% of the games, it is maybe a miracle that we arrive in third place. He is our Mo Salah. He is our (Virgil) van Dijk. He is our (Kevin) De Bruyne. He is simply that player, our Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

"He is the guy who makes the difference, and if you only have him for 40%, then it is a huge problem. It puts everything into perspective. I saw Liverpool without van Dijk last season and they struggled heavily. You see the difference. N'Golo is our key player. We need him on the pitch."

Tuchel wasn't done there, though. Far from it. "He is one of the very best midfielders in the world," the German continued. "Because is not that obvious, he is not in the spotlight, he is even more important for a team. A guy like N'Golo with the mentality of a helper, a water carrier, makes the difference. Big teams and successful teams need this. That's why we love him so much."

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Kante arrived at Chelsea in 2016 from Leicester City and won the Premier League in his first season at Stamford Bridge. An FA Cup followed. Then a Europa League. And under Tuchel, the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup have all been claimed. And let's not forget, he has lifted the World Cup with France.

The 31-year-old played pivotal roles in each of those successes, with match-deciding performances produced. "Last year, in the last five knockout matches of the Champions League, he got the [man-of-the-match] trophy. I mean, they almost handed him the