Chelsea star 'turned down' phone calls to make PSG move in January - Reports 

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante reportedly turned down the opportunity to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in January.

The 31-year-old has been a huge success for the Blues since arriving from fellow Premier League side Leicester City for £32.2 million in 2016. The Frenchman has won the UEFA Champions League, two Premier League and the UEFA Europa League title with the Blues.

One of Europe's most renowned defensive midfielders, the Frenchman could have been playing at the Parc des Princes had he followed up interest from PSG in January.

Le Parisien (via Express) has reported that Kante failed to return phone calls from the Ligue 1 leaders as they looked to sign the midfielder.

The French international is reportedly happy in England and isn't looking to leave Chelsea any time soon.

PSG's interest in Kante makes sense, given their glaring issue with depth this season in the middle of the park. The signing of Georginio Wijnaldum from Liverpool on a free transfer has failed to come off.

However, Kante will not be making the move to PSG as he looks to continue being a key component of Thomas Tuchel's project at Stamford Bridge.

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Chelsea to target a long-term replacement for PSG target N'Golo Kante

Declan Rice continues to be linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.

Despite N'Golo Kante rejecting the opportunity to speak with PSG, Chelsea are still in the market for a defensive midfielder this summer. They have been strongly linked with moves for West Ham United's Declan Rice and AS Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni.

Rice, 23, continues to flourish under David Moyes at the Hammers. This season, the midfielder has shown his attacking prowess more so than ever before. The Blues academy product is the subject of interest from his former team as well as Manchester United.

Daily Mail has reported that Rice favours a move to the west London club rather than joining the Red Devils, who will likely undergo a huge transformation this summer.

Rice won't come cheap, though, as West Ham have slapped a huge £150 million fee on the Englishman.

Meanwhile, the Blues are also keeping tabs on Tchoumaeni, 22, who most recently scored the winner in France's 2-1 friendly win over Cote d'Ivoire last week. However, United and La Liga giants Real Madrid are also in pursuit of the midfielder.

Marca (via Express) has reported that Tuchel's side were in pole position to sign the Frenchman until sanctions were imposed on Blues owner Roman Abramovich.

That pulled the breaks on all transfer activity at Stamford Bridge. The club is now in the process of getting sold, reopening the door for a potential move for Tchouameni.

The Monaco star is currently playing alongside former Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas and could cost upwards of £36 million (per Transfermarkt).