Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana is eager to move to Chelsea.
That’s according to a recent report from the Mirror, who claims the talented French centre-back is ‘pushing’ for a move to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea emerged as surprise contenders to offer Fofana a route out of Leicester recently.
Chelsea made a new attempt to sign Josko Gvardiol in a swap deal with Werner on loan, but RB Leipzig have still no intention to sell him. More possibilities will be discussed. ? #CFC
Fofana, top target but Leicester want to keep him.
Pavard, backup option as reported days ago.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 31, 2022
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The Blues obviously recognise the talent the 21-year-old has, and with Thomas Tuchel looking to rebuild his backline following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, Fofana would be a statement signing.
In line with his potential importance, and as we exclusively reported, Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes are holding out for a whopping £90m.
MORE: Exclusive: Agent refuses to rule out late Chelsea move for “very expensive” Man United star
It is hard to imagine the 2015-16 Premier League winners budging on their sky-high asking price. Former player Harry Maguire was sold to Manchester United back in 2019 for a record-breaking £78m – a sum that still sees him as the world’s most expensive defender.
Not only does that mean Fofana is on course to become the sport’s most expensive defender, but Leicester City would almost certainly use Maguire’s move to Old Trafford three years ago as a marker, therefore, Chelsea will find negotiating the Frenchman’s price tag incredibly difficult.
Leicester City are also under no pressure to sell the former Saint Etienne star. Fofana has a contract that runs until 2027 and that will only further strengthen the Foxes’ position.
A potential deal is likely to hinge on Chelsea’s willingness to break the bank (and record books) but either way, it’s going to be an interesting final few weeks of the summer transfer window.