Manchester United have made contact with the representatives of Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante, according to the Mirror.

The newspaper claims that Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a “long term admirer” of the French World Cup winner and would be keen on bringing the player to Old Trafford if he becomes available.

Chelsea do need to free up funds after shelling out more than £200m on players in recent months, and if they also make a move for West Ham’s Declan Rice, Kante’s position in the team could come under threat.

United have, though, already made it known to the France international’s agents that they wouldn’t be able to afford the player’s current wages. The 29-year-old signed a four and a half year contract extension in 2018 which saw his weekly salary rise to £300,000 a week.

The midfielder may well be unwilling to take a pay cut and that would cause major issues for United if they were to firm up their interest in the player.