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This former Chelsea midfielder is almost as good as N'Golo Kante - manager
CLAUDE PUEL believes Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu is "not far off" the standard of PFA Player of the Year N'Golo Kante.
Claude Puel says Oriol Romeu almost as good as N'Golo Kante
Kante has become one of the best midfielders in the Premier League since arriving in England in the summer of 2015.
The Frenchman played a huge role in Leicester's title win last term and is on course for a second successive championship with Chelsea.
While Romeu has emerged as one of Southampton's most influential players since Victor Wanyama's summer departure to Tottenham, performing in the defensive midfield role admirably.
N'Golo Kante was name PFA Player of the Year
The former Barcelona youngster joined Southampton in 2015 after four years at Chelsea, where he made just 33 senior appearances.
And ahead of Southampton's trip to Chelsea tomorrow (7.45pm), Saints manager Puel claims both midfielders are almost equals in terms of quality.
"I think he's not far off Kante," Puel said. "He is very important for us. He recovers the ball so well and is a technical player.
"If we see the quality of his games since the beginning of the season, N'Golo Kante brings the same qualities as Oriol for us.
Oriol Romeu has replaced Victor Wanyama in the Southampton midfield effortlessly
"He's very consistent and in every game he gives good performances, with consistency and quality.
"He's an important player for this team because he can do fantastic work to recover the ball and start the play.
"Without (Kante) for Chelsea it's difficult and the same with Romeu, it's difficult for us without him.
"We will see for the future, we are confident in him and, for me, he can look to getting in the selection with Spain, for example."