Chelsea have reportedly reached an agreement over personal terms with Wesley Fofana, who could cost them in excess of £70 million this summer.
According to Ignazio Genuardi, Chelsea have reached an agreement over personal terms with Wesley Fofana. The Blues have turned their attention to the Leicester City defender following their fruitless attempts to sign Jules Kounde, who has opted to join Barcelona instead.
Chelsea’s new owners came into the summer with big plans, but they have yet to deliver on what the supporters and Thomas Tuchel had hoped for thus far. The German tactician is eager to bring in another defender who can slot in on the right-hand side of his back three, with the assumption that new signing Kalidou Koulibaly will operate on the opposite side.
Tuchel had hoped to get a deal for Jules Kounde over the line. But Barcelona have since stolen the march and have reached an agreement with Sevilla to sign the highly-coveted defender. At the same time, another strongly linked target, Presnel Kimpembe, has decided to stay put at Paris Saint-Germain.
Chelsea require fresh faces at the back with only a few days till the start of the new season, and Tuchel is not hiding it. Leicester City’s French sensation Wesley Fofana is the latest name on Chelsea’s defensive shopping list, and while the Foxes are trying to ward off the Blues by quoting an exorbitant asking price, Todd Boehly and co. have already started to lay the groundwork for a deal.
The west London outfit have failed to convince Leicester with their approach. But they have managed to tempt the player, who is interested in a move to Stamford Bridge and has already agreed on personal terms, as Chelsea prepare to potentially launch a formal bid for the French centre-back.
Fofana enjoyed an impressive debut Premier League campaign following his move from Saint-Etienne in 2020 before he suffered a broken leg injury in a pre-season friendly against Villarreal, sidelining him for the majority of the 2021/22 season. To say Leicester missed him would be a big understatement, as demonstrated by their below-par defensive record.
Fofana eventually returned to showcase his class and composure at the back, making seven starts in the top-flight for the Foxes while deciding to extend his contract at the King Power Stadium until 2027. Leicester have no desire to sell their prized defender, especially with other options like Caglar Soyuncu and Jonny Evans in the final year of their respective deals.
The Foxes will reportedly not listen to any offers worth below the £70 million mark. Even then, it is unclear whether they will accept an offer in that ballpark. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea will pay the hefty fee demanded by Leicester or turn to other avenues, with RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol being mentioned as another option. But they must get their act together quickly, with their Premier League opener against Everton just around the corner.
