Chelsea are reportedly keen on signing Wesley Fofana next summer, although face competition from Manchester United for the Leicester City defender.
According to Foot Mercato, there is a transfer battle brewing among Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United for Wesley Fofana. It is suggested that the Blues have already contacted the player’s representatives, with a summer move in mind.
In a terrific debut campaign, Wesley Fofana was pencilled in to play a crucial role in Leicester City’s season, making 32 appearances across competitions. The young Frenchman became a key figure in Brendan Rodgers’ backline to help the club finish fifth in the Premier League.
An unfortunate leg break in a pre-season game ended his season prematurely. He is expected back by the end of the current campaign but probably won’t play any part for the Foxes. His fitness situation has not deterred potential suitors, who remain interested in signing him next summer.
Chelsea are reportedly keen on the Frenchman, as Thomas Tuchel could sign him to ease his personnel problems in the summer. The German manager wants to sign a centre-back after unsuccessfully spending the entire summer chasing one in Jules Kounde.
As talks with Sevilla failed to progress after prolonged discussions, Chelsea were left hanging and started the season without a new defender. They also sold Kurt Zouma to West Ham United on top of that. Moreover, the future of Antonio Rudiger could also direct towards signing a new centre-back.
While they retain an interest in Kounde, the Frenchman might be set for a move to Real Madrid or Barcelona next summer, leaving the Blues to find an alternative target. Fofana could be the player, as Chelsea might be in a position to invest significantly in a young, long-term defender.
Chelsea could face tense competition from Manchester United, who are desperate to shore up their defence after a terrible start to the season. The Red Devils have been leaky at the back, with all of their incumbent central defenders experiencing a dip in form. Moreover, summer arrival Raphael Varane has endured fitness issues so far, missing crucial fixtures against Liverpool and Manchester City.
There is barely any confidence this term in other options, such as Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly, meaning signing a new centre-back is necessary. Similar to Chelsea, the right side is the problematic area for Manchester United, with Fofana being a viable target.
Manchester United have done business before with Leicester when they signed Harry Maguire in a world-record deal for a defender. However, signing Fofana might be difficult considering the level of interest in the defender. There could be interest from Spain, too, although the lure of Chelsea might be problematic for the Red Devils.
It remains to be seen how much Leicester will demand for Fofana, although the price tag could be understandably high considering their recent valuations of players they have sold. Both Chelsea and Manchester United can certainly afford any fee required, which makes the transfer battle all the more interesting.
