Youssouf Fofana has neither confirmed nor denied that he wants to leave Monaco in the upcoming transfer window. The 24-year-old has been heavily linked with moves to Chelsea and Liverpool recently as either side looks to further bolster their midfield options in the summer.
football.london understands that the Blues are prepared to let Mateo Kovacic leave the club, with Bayern Munich believed to be the front runners for his signature. The Croatia international has just 12 months remaining on his deal and faces an increasingly uncertain future at Stamford Bridge.
Mason Mount also sees his contract with the west Londoners expire at the end of next season and he too could eventually leave on a free transfer. So, with Chelsea in desperate need of reinforcements in the middle of the park, football.london understands that six players – including the Monaco star – have been shortlisted.
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Fofana, who sees his contract at the Stade Louis-II in 2024, has featured 33 times for Philippe Clement's side in Ligue 1 this season, helping the French outfit clamber into the top four. football.london understands that the Chelsea recruitment team, led by Joe Shields and Christopher Vivell, are 'really keen' on Fofana and are considering a bid for the midfielder.
The Blues signed Benoit Badiashile from Monaco in January, and the defender has proven to be a great signing already. The French outfit have also sold a host of other top players in recent years, including Fabinho to Liverpool and Kylian Mbappe to Paris Saint-Germain.
With Chelsea and Liverpool battling for his signature, Fofana has revealed that he's in no rush to leave despite his lofty ambitions. As quoted by the Evening Standard, the midfielder said: "Monaco is a great club in France and Europe. A lot of big clubs come here to find players and we are all aware of this.
"If it is the right opportunity or moment [to leave], I can’t say. I don’t know but we are doing things the right way here at the moment
"I have already played with top players but if one day I can play with more big names then it will be a pleasure and mean I have performed well."
Fofana played a pivotal role in France's success at the World Cup in Qatar. He helped Les Blues reach the final where they were beaten by Argentina.
However, Fofana believes that England was his country's toughest test. The 24-year-old added: "I think that the game against England was maybe the most difficult to prepare for.
"I wouldn’t say we were worried but when you face the runners-up from the Euros, of course, you think a little bit more about the game. We had the impression that we would play against a team like ourselves.
"The England team was a bit like us with a lot of qualities defensively, offensively and it was a big game. Iif Kane scored the penalty then it would have had a huge impact on the game for sure."
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