Claude Makelele has identified where Chelsea's N'Golo Kante needs to improve his game.

The Frenchman has emerged as one of the best box-to-box midfielders in Europe after arriving in England from Caen in 2015.

After a superb debut season in guiding Leicester City to the Premier League title, Kante moved to Chelsea in the summer and his influence has the Blues as firm premiership favourites.

Kante is often compared to former West London star Makelele, but the Stamford Bridge great feels the 25-year-old needs to step up his leadership in order to be classified as truly exceptional.

"What I like about him is that he's very generous," Makelele told French outlet SFR Sport.

"He plays with a smile on his face, and that's an exceptional quality.

"I really hope he has a better career than mine, but he still needs that leadership.

"That doesn't mean be a captain, but to have an aura within the team that when they look at him, they think 'We're going to win' or when he speaks to them, they go 'You're right.'

"When he has that aura, he'll be an exceptional player.

"That's when he'll become a regular for France."