Wesley Fofana missed a training session last week as Chelsea’s pursuit of him intensified and Brendan Rodgers has conceded the defender’s behaviour was a factor in his decision to leave the Frenchman out as Leicester’s winless start to the season continued.
Fofana missed one session in the buildup to the defeat at home against Southampton on Saturday, which the 21-year-old watched from the stands, and spent another training alone. Fofana has made clear his desire to join Chelsea, who are expected to return with a third bid, but Leicester are demanding more than £80m, which would amount to a world‑record fee for a defender.
Rodgers said he is unsure how the saga will play out and acknowledged Fofana’s wish to fulfil his “dreams”. Asked whether Fofana, who signed a five-year contract extension in March, would be disappointed if he were to stay at Leicester, Rodgers replied: “I’m not sure. It all depends on the player. You can’t always say for definite how it’s going to be.
“For some players when the window shuts it’s a good moment because they can totally focus on playing again and getting on with their careers. Some players may feel they have lost the opportunity of a dream. They may just never be the same, so that’s always the danger.”
Rodgers recognises that, if Leicester were to sanction the sale of Fofana late in the transfer window, adequate replacements could be hard to come by. “That’s the huge challenge,” Rodgers said. “If you do it last minute then you’re really in danger … already our squad is weaker than last season. We don’t have Ademola Lookman here [his loan ended] and he was fantastic for us. You look at Ricardo Pereira [who is injured] not here.
“So, as time goes on of course, if you lose one of your best players and you can’t replace them with the quality, then it doesn’t make sense.”
Chelsea’s pursuit of Fofana has proved destabilising for Leicester, who travel to Stockport in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday hoping to secure their first win of the season. “We wait and see what happens in the transfer window,” Rodgers said.
“The concentration is with the guys who are and the players that are here looking to play, wanting to play. If something’s not right — no matter who the player is — he has to come out for the greater good of the team and the club.”
