Chelsea and defender Wesley Fofana of Leicester have reached an agreement as per reports on Friday 26th August, 2022.
An agreement has finally been reached between the two clubs to send the 21-year-old to Stamford Bridge, reports French news outlet GFFN.
It appears that they have now reached an understanding after weeks of continued discussions. According to reports, Fofana will sign a 6-year deal with Chelsea that will set a world record for a central defender and run through the summer of 2028.
At the moment, Harry Maguire’s £80 million transfer from Leicester to Manchester United is the priciest deal for a center-back.
Since Chelsea first expressed interest in Fofana last month, speculation regarding the player’s future has increased. However, the King Power club has been playing tough during the negotiations and has refused to sell unless their asking price is met.
This week’s earlier reports said that Chelsea’s third offer to the Foxes, costing £70 million, was turned down.
Manager Brendan Rodgers said that Fofana was working out with the under 23 team after Leicester’s 2-1 loss to Southampton the previous Saturday.
He stated: “Wesley is only a young kid who isn’t quite in the appropriate frame of mind to play right now.
“He’s a good kid, he’s been great for us whilst he’s been here and at this moment it’s a difficult one for him. You can’t afford that, certainly playing a Premier League game if you’re not 100 per cent fully focused.”
Rodgers responded that no players are up for sale when asked if more players will depart the team.
Rogers continued: “None of them are for sale. That is the reality of it, however, I know how the game works and how the business works, but at this moment in time, there are a few weeks to go in the window.
“I don’t know what will happen but my only concentration is the players we have here and getting them back to that level of confidence.”
Gary Lineker, a former Leicester striker and a supporter of the Foxes, is concerned about the state of his old team.
On the Seaman Says podcast, he stated: “The club is having financial difficulties. I believe the owner’s company isn’t doing particularly well right now; if this has an effect on it, I’m not sure. Our team is quite strong if you look at it, but August is always a terrible month.
“All your good players because of Leicester’s good recruitment so the likes of Fofana, [Youri] Tielemans and [James] Maddison have been getting interest from a lot of clubs. That plays with players’ heads and then they get in a situation where the club don’t know where you are, you don’t know which players you’re going to have in September.”
Chelsea will be Leicester’s opponent in its following Premier League game on Saturday.
Wesley Fofana
Wesley Fofana, a French professional football player who currently plays as a defender for Premier League team Leicester City and is on the verge of joining Chelsea, was born on December 17, 2000.
Early Life
Fofana was born in France’s Bouches-du-Rhône region in Marseille. His father is Ivorian, whereas his mother is French. He was one of six children and began playing football with Repos Vitrolles at the age of six.
Fofana practices Islam. He was replaced on the hour mark of Leicester’s 3-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion on April 22, 2021, while Fofana was fasting for the month-long Islamic fast of Ramadan.
In the following game against Crystal Palace, play was stopped after 30 minutes so that Fofana and Cheikhou Kouyaté could drink some liquids to break their Ramadan fast.
Career
Saint-Étienne
Fofana earned his first professional deal with Saint-Étienne on May 15, 2018, after entering the junior system in 2015.
On May 18, 2019, he made his club debut in a 3-0 victory over Nice in Ligue 1.
Leicester City
Fofana signed a five-year contract with Leicester City of the English Premier League on October 2, 2020. According to reports, Saint-Étienne received a transfer fee of up to £36.5 million. Following a fan vote, Fofana was chosen as Leicester City’s Young Player of the Season on May 21, 2021.
Following a challenge by Fer Nio on August 4, 2021, while playing a preseason friendly against Villarreal, Fofana injured his leg.
In his first game following his injury, Fofana scored in a UEFA Europa Conference League loss to Stade Rennais on March 17, 2022, ensuring Leicester’s advancement to the next round on a 3-2 aggregate score.
