Chelsea can potentially go from having 3/4 potential centre-back options to having none if they do not act fast. Having spent an entire year negotiating with Sevilla for France international, Jules Kounde it seems as though the Blues could lose out to Barcelona. Matthijs de Ligt is another transfer target that Chelsea could lose out on as Bayern Munich come swooping in. To add to the departure of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, it has been reported that Cesar Azpilicueta will become the next defender that Thomas Tuchel will lose.
Chelsea are running out of options here. If negotiations for de Ligt completely fall through they may have to look towards securing secondary targets such as Kalidou Koulibaly who remains keen on exiting Serie A altogether. Another defender on Thomas Tuchel's radar is PSG star, Presnel Kimpembe. A reunion with his old boss doesn't sound too shabby as the 26-year-old excelled alongside Thiago Silva under Tuchel's management.
There are still options for the Blues to consider and it is crucial that they do not remain fixated on negotiations outside of their control. Another possible target is actually a Premier League proven raw gem. Leicester City fans, close your eyes now.
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Wesley Fofana had been injured for the most part of last season. Prior to his injury, Fofana was the young superstar destined for greatness. The 21-year-old Frenchman is the solid rock in Leicester's backline. Since his arrival in 2020, he has caught the attention of clubs such as Manchester United and Real Madrid. The potential is through the roof.
Having suffered from a Fibula fracture, Fofana only played six games in Leicester's latter half of the season. The Foxes did not have much luck without him in their backline, which was evident in their performance dip. The 6ft 3in centre-back has an ideal frame to cope with the physicality of the Premier League and could fill the void left by Rudiger. He is quick on recovery, and he isn't afraid to go to the ground to win a duel.
Saving the best attribute to last, Fofana is versatile. He's shown great ability to adjust in a back four as well as a back three and can play as both the right or left-sided centre-back. It's hard to say no to this.
Speaking on The Byline podcast, Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail reminds fans that Chelsea have watched Wesley Fofana before. He was on the list of targets and there's a genuine interest in him. Will it be enough for Chelsea to turn to or will they stick with their newest target Nathan Ake and call it a day?
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