Chelsea dealt transfer blow as Lesley Fofana signs new contract with Leicester City
According to The Sun, Chelsea have received a massive blow as Lesley Fofana has signed a new contract with Leicester City ahead of the summer transfer window. This update has put an end to the former’s pursuit to secure his services as it would not be feasible to keep targeting him anymore.
The Blues were keeping tabs on Fofana as they could be subjected to a potential defensive crisis at the end of this season. They were not the only ones in the mix as Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur had also added him to their respective radars.
Leicester have responded quickly amidst these growing interests by tying down the Frenchman until 2027. Brendan Rodgers has convinced the defender that the latter would have a greater role in the project they are building at King Power Stadium. The centre-back now earns wages of around £120,000-a-week, which makes him one of the highest-paid players in his team.
Tough blow
The 21-year-old has returned to full training sessions after being on the sidelines since the horror injury he suffered at the start of this term. Despite the setback, he continued to attract attention from elsewhere due to his displays from last season. After all, the Foxes have been out of sorts at the back since he has been out of contention.
Rodgers’ side could even have the Premier League star ready to play when they take on Stade Rennais in the Uefa Conference League on Thursday. Despite paying £32million in transfer fees to Saint-Etienne, they could earn that back in no time if the central defender returns to his form from last season, helping them to the FA Cup along the way.
It is unfortunate that we cannot prise away the Leicester City star anytime soon due to his extension. He would have been a great prospect to compensate in case of the departures of Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta this summer. The Blues trio is in line to become free agents after this campaign which shows our desperation at this moment.
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Fofana would have been a great option to replace any of our three centre-backs since he has already made a name for himself in the English top-flight. But now the board must divert their attention towards other targets who can do a similar job for us next season.
We cannot dwell on the setback for too long and should elsewhere to address our requirements. Whether or not we land Fofana, Chelsea could do with more than one central defender next summer.