Manchester United are reportedly keeping tabs on the progress of Leicester City’s 20-year-old French defender Wesley Fofana ahead of the summer transfer window.
According to a report from French outlet Foot Mercato, Manchester United are closely following Wesley Fofana with a view to sign him from fellow Premier League club Leicester City in the upcoming transfer window.
Fofana, 20, came through the youth ranks at French outfit AS Saint-Etienne and made just 30 first-team appearances before being snapped up by Leicester City last summer. Having arrived in England, the French centre-half has adjusted seamlessly to Premier League football, becoming a regular at the heart of the Foxes’ defence.
Indeed, when fit and available, Fofana has missed just one Premier League game for Brendan Rodgers’ side, playing a key role in the club’s push for a top-four finish. In all, he has featured 29 times for Leicester, notching up a solitary assist as well in the process. And his growth and development has alerted a lot of clubs in England, including Manchester United.
It is no secret that the 20-time English champions are in the market for a new centre-back heading into the upcoming season. Given that both Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have had inconsistent spells and the latter has also struggled with injuries, along with Eric Bailly, a new senior centre-back is warranted at Old Trafford, more so with Phil Jones not part of the manager’s plans.
To that end, Manchester United have been linked with a host of central defenders in recent months, ranging from Kalidou Koulibaly to Nikola Milenkovic. Recent reports, though, had indicated that the Red Devils were in advanced talks to secure the signing of Real Madrid superstar Raphael Varane.
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Nevertheless, it seems like Fofana is also a player that is firmly on the radars of the Red Devils. To that end, the report goes on to state that Manchester United have already made first contact to explore the possibility of a summer transfer. However, any move for the 20-year-old Frenchman will be extremely hard to pull off.
Manchester United had to pay a world-record transfer fee for a defender when they signed Harry Maguire from Leicester City in 2019. And the Foxes could hold out for a similar fee for Fofana, given that his contract with the club runs till the summer of 2025. So, it does seem unlikely that a transfer will take place, especially with United needing to strengthen other areas of the pitch as well.
