Leicester star Wesley Fofana has previously named three Premier League giants as “dream” transfer destinations.
Fofana has emerged as a target for Chelsea after Barcelona hijacked their efforts to sign Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde. The 21-year-old has long been earmarked as a player of high potential and it seems Leicester will have to brace themselves for bids this summer.
Chelsea came close to signing Kounde last summer but were forced to walk away at the last minute when the Spanish club increased their asking price. They renewed their interest this summer following the departures of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger on free transfers, only to be gazumped by Barcelona.
Having taken Christensen when his Chelsea contract expired and beaten the Blues to Leeds winger Raphinha, Barca have now taken pole position in the race for Kounde. The Catalan giants have reportedly agreed a £46million initial fee, plus add-ons, for the 23-year-old France international, who is ready to sign a five-year contract.
That bitter blow has prompted Chelsea to turn their attention to Fofana. The France under-21 international signed a two-year contract extension with Leicester in March, to take his end date to June 2027, but he has openly named other sides as potential destinations for the future.
“A club that makes me dream? There’s Marseille, Real Madrid, Barca," Fofana told Actufoot. "In the Premier League, there are Chelsea, [Manchester] United, [Manchester] City… But you have to work to make your dreams come true. Through work, you can achieve anything."
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Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has been desperate to bring in defensive reinforcements this summer following the departures of Christensen and Rudiger. The Blues have signed Kalidou Koulibaly in a £34million deal from Napoli, but want more players amid uncertainty about Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta, who are being eyed by Barca.
Fofana is the latest centre-back in the frame for a move to Chelsea, with the Blues interested in signing Matthijs de Ligt before he joined Bayern Munich from Juventus. Todd Boehly’s side were also keen to bring Nathan Ake back to Stamford Bridge before walking away from negotiations with Manchester City, who wanted at least £40m after selling Raheem Sterling. Tuchel’s team have also been linked with Paris Saint-Germain’s Presnel Kimpembe and Torino’s Gleison Bremer.
Fofana joined Leicester in a £36.5m move from Saint-Etienne in 2020. He enjoyed a brilliant debut campaign in the 2020/21 season, winning the club’s young player of the year award. He suffered a broken leg last summer but returned to action in March to feature 12 times for Brendan Rodgers’ side, who are in a strong negotiating position after securing Fofana on an extended contract.
