Chelsea Rumors: Lampard's Alleged Rift With Kante 'Overblown,' But Sale Could Bring In Rice, Report Says

N'Golo Kante is known for his calm nature, but there are emerging claims that all is not well between him and Chelsea FC manager Frank Lampard. It is also no secret that Kante has been linked to a move out of Stamford Bridge next summer, with teams like Real Madrid, Manchester United and Inter Milan being mentioned.

Le Parisien reported, citing unnamed sources, that Lampard and Kante had a dispute when the Chelsea manager did not allow the French midfielder to miss training. According to the report, Kante planned to attend the wedding of a friend, but Lampard was "inflexible," which angered the 29-year-old French midfielder.

Le Parisien mentioned that Chelsea has denied this information, but the outlet maintains that this happened.

The whole thing comes a bit of a surprise considering Lampard has been known to be lax on Kante. That included allowing the French player to go on compassionate leave since Kante was unsure if he could return when the COVID-19 pandemic remained unresolved.

In the eyes of pundits, this story is hard to believe and may be a bit "overblown," per NBC Sports. Considering the patience that Lampard has had for Kante, constant reports of an alleged misunderstanding between the two is a bit strange.

Kante remains a vital cog for the Blues as someone who addresses multiple problems Chelsea has - particularly in defense. Should things not go well between him and Lampard, the Blues will end up struggling if he departs.

If Kante does have plans of moving on, he could do so by the summer of 2021. Lampard has his eyes on several players, particularly Declan Rice of West Ham United FC.

Real Madrid and Inter Milan could revisit Kante's availability, a deal that could see the Blues earning big since the French player still has two years left in his contract. That could potentially be worth up to $100 million, which would roughly be the amount they would need to get Rice.

Anything is possible moving forward as far as Kante is concerned. Most clubs are still reeling from the financial crunch raised by the coronavirus. However, the summer of 2021 could be a different story once clubs like Inter and Real can figure out their financial predicament.