Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante says he is open to remaining at Stamford Bridge for the remainder of his career.
Kante has been linked with a move to Real Madrid in recent months, with manager Zinedine Zidane keen to refresh his options in the centre of the park next summer.
Madrid sit second in the La Liga table after 12 games but they have not always been convincing so far this season.
The Spanish giants have also been linked with Paul Pogba and Christian Eriksen, but Zidane is seeking balance in the engine room and is therefore keen on Kante, who is under contract in west London for four more years.
However, Chelsea have received a major boost after the former Leicester ball-winner hinted that he could stay put even beyond the length of his current deal.
“Of course,” he replied when asked by Telefoot whether he could finish his career with the Blues.
“Today I am with Chelsea until 2023. So, in my head, I hope to continue to have great seasons with Chelsea until 2023.”
Kante was a star performer as Leicester stunned the world to win the Premier League title in 2015/16.
That was the only season the France international spent at the King Power Stadium, having arrived from Caen in a £5.6m deal the previous summer.
Kante had the chance to join Marseille in his homeland instead of Leicester, but the midfielder unsurprisingly has no regrets over his decision to move to England.
“Of course not,” he added. “When I arrived at Chelsea, I was at Leicester and I had just won my first title with a club.
“Today at Chelsea, I have had three wonderful years winning titles. I think that it is a club that has helped me a lot and I hope that I will be able to win a lot more titles here.
“The year at Leicester was magnificent and I did not regret my decision at all.”
A 2-0 triumph over Crystal Palace on Saturday moved Chelsea up to third place in the Premier League table.
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