Wesley Fofana’s protracted transfer odyssey has come to an end as he has signed a £70 million contract with Chelsea.
Chelsea had been hot on the heels of the young defender as he was identified by German manager Thomas Tuchel as the ideal candidate to complement a new look defence which includes two other new candidates Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella.
The youngster has agreed to a seven-year contract with Chelsea that would initially cost £70 million with a potential add-on of £5 million with both clubs coming to an agreement on the transfer cost, add-ons and structure on Saturday.
In his first words as a Stamford Bridge player, Fofana said that moving to Stamford Bridge was a “dream” and that he was eager to start playing with his new colleagues.
The 21-year-old’s exploits throughout his two seasons in England with Leicester have further demonstrated his credentials as one of the most promising all-around defenders in the world after impressing in his native France with Saint-Etienne.
In his first season in the Premier League, 2020–21, he was voted the Foxes’ Young Player of the Year. One of his best performances in England thus far came against Chelsea in that season’s FA Cup final, which helped Leicester win the cup for the first time.
Although he was injured for a portion of the previous season, he quickly resumed where he had left off upon his return and shone for Leicester as they made their lone appearance in the semifinals of European competition by reaching the Europa Conference League.
Fofana said; “I’ve had two significant days recently, and I’m overjoyed. It’s a dream come true for me to have trained with the team this morning. I’m incredibly eager to begin playing games for the supporters and the club.
“I’m here to take home trophies of all kinds, including the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup. I’m here to carry on the club’s tradition of winning trophies because that’s why I arrived.”
Later, Fofana thanked Leicester supporters for their “kindness” and their “unwavering support, even in the moments you were made to believe I didn’t respect the club” in a statement posted on his Instagram. Fofana also seemed to fault Brendan Rodgers, the manager of Leicester, for his handling of the protracted transfer process.
Fofana continued: “Despite all the criticism and all the frequently inaccurate and misleading statements, even when they came from the club, I decided not to interact throughout this transfer window.”
Todd Boehly, chairman of Chelsea, added: “Wesley is a defender who has already distinguished himself in the Premier League at a young age and is incredibly promising. We are thrilled that we were able to add one of Europe’s most promising players to Chelsea and bolster that section of our roster for the current season as well as many more to come.”
The three previous offers from Chelsea for Fofana—two for more than £60 million and one that was reportedly for £60 million plus $10 million in add-ons—were all immediately rejected by Leicester because the Foxes were reluctant to sell and also wanted to get the highest fee they could from their prized asset.
After the player skipped a training session last week in an attempt to force a transfer to Stamford Bridge, player power was once demonstrated as manager Brendan Rodgers acknowledged that the player had been working out with Leicester’s U23 squad due to a shift in focus.
