Leicester City ‘reject a THIRD bid from Chelsea’ for Wesley Fofana
Leicester ‘reject a THIRD bid from Chelsea for Wesley Fofana’ after Blues ‘submit £70m offer for Frenchman… with the Foxes still holding out for £80m for their prized asset
- Leicester have reportedly rejected a third offer from Chelsea for Wesley Fofana
- The Blues saw their latest offer of £70million plus add-ons rejected by Leicester
- Chelsea’s second offer for Fofana was thought to have been close to £65m mark
- Leicester are thought to value the 21-year-old centre back in excess of £80m
Leicester have reportedly rejected a third offer from Chelsea for Wesley Fofana.
The Blues have already had two bids for the Frenchman turned down and their latest offer of £70million plus add-ons has been rejected, according to the Telegraph.
Chelsea’s second offer for Fofana was thought to have been close to the £65m mark but Leicester are thought to value the 21-year-old in excess of £80m, which is the current world record fee for a defender.
Leicester City have reportedly rejected a third offer from Chelsea for Wesley Fofana
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed at the weekend that he left Fofana – and his Foxes team-mate Youri Tielemans – out of their 2-1 defeat by Southampton because the pair were not in the right frame of mind, with both being linked with moves away from the club.
Fofana was not in the squad at all, while Tielemans had to settle for a place on the bench.
When asked about the changes, Rodgers told Sky Sports: ‘One, a change in system and two, I mentioned in the week, we’re coming into a Premier League game and maybe we’ve got players who are maybe not quite in the right frame of mind.
Leicester are looking for a fee in excess of the £80m for 21-year-old Fofana (seen left)
‘You can’t carry them, or certainly we can’t. So yeah, that’s the reason for the changes.’
Rodgers has said repeatedly that Fofana’s best option would be to stay at Leicester.
The club accept privately that even though he signed a new five-year deal in March, there may struggle to hang on to him for more than one more season.
Fofana, however, is believed to be keen to press ahead as soon as possible, though it is unclear whether Chelsea are prepared to meet Leicester’s asking price.
Rodgers added: ‘Another year here for him at least would be really important for his development, but he is quite calm and relaxed in the situation. He is aware of the interest.
The 21-year-old signed a new five-year contract at the King Power Stadium in March 2022
‘He understands where we are as a club and where we see him. He’s just getting on with his work and training well, and whenever there is any communication we are able to have a conversation.’
Thomas Tuchel wants to add another central defender before next Thursday’s transfer deadline with Fofana their priority.
The Chelsea boss has also added Brighton‘s Adam Webster on their list of potential alternatives in their search for a centre back.
Sportsmail revealed that a shock one was made for Manchester United captain Harry Maguire and Webster is another defender whose credentials have been considered.
Brendan Rodgers confirmed he left Fofana out of their 2-1 defeat by Southampton because his head was not in the right frame of mind amid talk of interest from Chelsea this summer
Chelsea have added Kalidou Koulibaly to their centre back options since losing Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen this summer.
They have also signed the versatile Marc Cucurella from Brighton, who can play as a left-sided centre back, but are still seeking one more out-and-out central defender.
Their hopes of landing Fofana received a boost after he was left out of Leicester’s defeat against Southampton on Saturday but the Foxes are holding out for a world record fee for a defender of over £80m.
