Kante's a fantastic player. We could still squeeze a few top years out of him. Fernandinho was still a top defensive midfielder deep into his 30s. Kante's had injuries this season. If he gets over them he'll be an asset to anyone. However, this just feels like we haven't learned from the past. Not because of our experience with Matic. You can't just say it went wrong once, it'll go wrong every time. There's no reason that has to be the case.
But why are we not looking at players on their first or second contracts, like Ralf suggested? Players who have something to prove. As much as it pains me to admit it, like what Liverpool did. When Liverpool bought players like Mane, Salah, Wijnaldum, Robertson, even Van Dijk and Allison, it was their 'step up.' They all had something to prove. Even Salah, who some saw as a Chelsea reject, was looking to show people what he could do.
Kante is clearly a great lad. You can tell from the things people say about him. However, he's won everything. He has nothing to prove, at all. He seems a top pro, he will do his job professionally for anyone he plays for. But you wouldn't be surprised if there's a bit of a tailing off. I just think United should be investing in the next Kante rather than the current one.