Leicester City ‘reject fresh £70m bid from Chelsea for Wesley Fofana’

Leicester City ‘reject fresh £70m bid from Chelsea for Wesley Fofana’

Leicester City have reportedly turned down a third bid worth £70m from Chelsea for defender Wesley Fofana.
Following the arrival of Kalidou Koulibaly earlier this summer, the West Londoners are looking to recruit another central defender before the transfer window closes and they have identified Fofana as their top defensive target.

The 21-year-old, who has asked to leave Leicester in order to join Chelsea, was left out of Brendan Rodgers’s matchday squad for last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat in the Premier League against Southampton.

“In terms of Wesley, just a young player who is not quite in the right frame of mind at the moment to play,” Rodgers told reporters after the game on Saturday, via Sky Sports News. “A lot going on behind the scenes, which I understand. It’s a difficult moment for him.

“He’s a good kid, he’s been great for us whilst he’s been here and at this moment it’s a difficult one for him. You can’t afford that, certainly playing a Premier League game if you’re not 100% fully focused.”

Leicester are yet to make an outfield signing this summer due to concerns over Financial Fair Play, and they are keen to offload a number of fringe players to balance their books.

However, their star players including Fofana, Youri Tielemans and James Maddison – three first-team members who the Foxes are keen to hold onto – have instead been in the headlines regarding a possible exit from the King Power Stadium.

Tielemans has less than 12 months remaining on his contract and the midfielder has been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United, while a big-money switch to Newcastle United has been mooted for Maddison.

It seems highly unlikely that Fofana, who penned a new five-year contract with Leicester in March, will be involved in Saturday’s Premier League fixture against – coincidentally – Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are understood to have identified Brighton & Hove Albion’s Adam Webster as a potential alternative should Chelsea fail in their pursuit of Fofana.