Liverpool could have signed Chelsea Champions League winner in 2016 for £22million

While I have no love for Chelsea Football Club, I can't be the only rival fan of theirs that is over the moon for N'Golo Kante, who has won his first European Cup.

The perpetually smiling Frenchman is loved by fans from most every club in the Premier League and around the world.

Chelsea pay the diminutive midfielder £290,000/week and unlike other high paid players, his earnings are never used as a stick to beat him with due to his hard-working nature and tireless efforts to help the Blues succeed.

In fact, the former Caen star rejected the chance to receive a portion of his salary through an offshore account to avoid paying extra taxes and earn an additional £870,000 a year which highlights why he is so loved.

N'Golo Kante won the Player of the Match award as Chelsea won their second Champions League final in a decade and Liverpool fans will once again be wishing that they snapped him up in 2016.

According to a report from June 2016, Liverpool were part of a horde of clubs interested in signing Kante from Leicester City after their miraculous Premier League title win during the 2015/16 season.

The report claimed that he had a £22million release clause in his contract and that Man United were in pole position. Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Spurs were all credited with interest too.

That transfer window was the first summer during Jurgen Klopp's tenure and he opted for Georginio Wijnaldum and while the Dutchman is now leaving the club, he turned out to be an astute signing for just £25million.

Kante at Anfield, however, would have been a different beast altogether. His pace, energy and ability to drive forward with the ball would have been a sensational attribute during the early days of Klopp's geggenpressing monster.

A midfield of Kante, Henderson and Can behind a front three of Coutinho, Firmino and Mane would have been an outside shout in the 2016/17 Premier League title race which was ultimately won by the Frenchman's Chelsea.

I guess you could say he made the right choice. Since he moved to Stamford Bridge, he has won three FA Cups, the Premier League, the Europa League and now the Champions League.

Still, it's fun to imagine what might have been.