The most pivotal transfer in Premier League history has lasting effects 10 years on

Premier League clubs have long searched for the bargain signing which would change the competition on a number of levels but only a few of them have been successful

There are many transfers which can lay claim to the most important of the Premier League era. Eric Cantona’s 1992 move to Manchester United paved the way for their early dominance, while Sergio Aguero’s Manchester City switch ushered in their era at the top,

Both of those deals were critical to the success of one team and, by extension, the lack of success of their rivals. When it comes to lasting effects across the board, though, it’s hard to look past Leicester’s move for N’Golo Kante.

It was 10 years ago today that Leicester signed Kante from Caen for £5.6million. It arguably wasn’t even the most talked-about deal involving a Premier League team that day, with Manchester United’s sale of Rafael to Lyon attracting more attention.

That was probably fair enough, too. A 24-year-old midfielder with one season of top-flight football, moving to a side which narrowly escaped relegation in May? Hardly a leading contender for the ‘signing of the summer’ crown.

A decade on, though, and few of us could have imagined the impact such an unheralded deal might make. And the repercussions are still being felt in 2025.

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It’s hard to imagine now, but Kante wasn’t an automatic starter for Leicester at the beginning of Claudio Ranieri’s tenure. Andy King and Danny Drinkwater were paired together in the first three games as the Foxes picked up seven points, with Kante coming off the bench for a combined 48 minutes across those fixtures.

He started 33 of the next 35, though, as Ranieri’s team completed a fairytale run to the title. Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez might have scored the bulk of the crucial goals, but plenty recognised Kante’s contribution as being just as important.

“This player Kante, he was running so hard that I thought he must have a pack full of batteries hidden in his shorts. He never stopped running in training,” manager Ranieri told The Players’ Tribune.

“I had to tell him, ‘Hey, N’Golo, slow down. Slow down. Don’t run after the ball every time, okay?’ He says to me, Yes, boss. Yes. Okay.’

“Ten seconds later, I look over and he’s running again. I tell him, ‘One day, I’m going to see you cross the ball, and then finish the cross with a header yourself.'”

Leicester would have to launch their title defence without Kante after Chelsea swooped in with a £32m summer bid. And, while the 2015-16 title remains the only time Leicester have topped the Premier League table, Kante instantly added another title at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues’ success under Antonio Conte was built off the back of a league record 13 straight wins between October and December. Kante missed one of those games through suspension, but completed the full 90 minutes in the other 12 to show how valuable his energy and quality were to Conte’s side.

Kante’s form in England had made it impossible for France boss Didier Deschamps to ignore him. The midfielder hadn’t played a single minute for Les Bleus when he joined Leicester, but earned minutes at Euro 2016 – albeit not in the final defeat to Portugal – before making it into Deschamps’ squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

There, he started every game as France went all the way. The midfield balance of Kante and Paul Pogba proved key, and one wonders whether the same would have been possible if Corentin Tollisso or Steven Nzonzi had occupied the spot alongside Pogba in the middle – especially when it came to stopping Argentina in the round of 16.

“He had a very precise role,” Deschamps said after the 4-3 win over the Albiceleste. “It is true that we didn’t really see much of Lionel Messi when he played against us.”

A decade on from his move to Leicester, Kante has called time on his Premier League career. And yet his impact continues to be felt.

Kante’s final trophies at Chelsea came in 2021, when he starred in the Blues’ Champions League final win over Manchester City and went on to add the Super Cup and Club World Cup. On top of that, though, the European title sealed Chelsea’s qualification to the expanded Club World Cup in 2025.

Chelsea’s four seasons since winning the Champions League haven’t been the best, but they made up for that in the United States by winning the 32-team tournament and securing a hefty financial bonus. Just two players remain from the 23-man squad which came out on top in 2021, but the latest rebuild wouldn’t be possible without the other 21.

The Premier League and world football could well look very different had Leicester not brought N’Golo Kante to England 10 years ago, It just goes to show how one relatively tiny deal can have a huge impact.

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