Chelsea are working on a deal to sign Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana.
Leicester’s asking price could be prohibitive, with reports suggesting they could demand up to £85m, given Fofana has five years left on his contract.
The France U21 international signed a two-year contract extension with Leicester in March, which keeps him at the King Power Stadium until 2027.
It is thought Chelsea are exploring a deal which would involve players as part of the offer.
Chelsea have signed Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli and have made attempts to bring in Manchester City’s Nathan Ake and Sevilla’s Jules Kounde following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
Wesley Fofana only played 630 minutes in the Premier League last season due to injuries, but, per 90 minutes, the centre-back ranked fifth in the league for recoveries in the defensive third and 15th for passes completed
Wesley Fofana only played 630 minutes in the Premier League last season due to injuries, but, per 90 minutes, the centre-back ranked fifth in the league for recoveries in the defensive third and 15th for passes completed
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Blues boss Thomas Tuchel, meanwhile, has admitted he is a “little bit” annoyed with Barcelona over their pursuit of Cesar Azpilicueta.
The 32-year-old has 12 months remaining on his Chelsea contract and has reportedly asked to leave the club after a decade at Stamford Bridge to return to his native Spain.
But Tuchel says he is not sure if he wants to give Azpilicueta “what he wants”, and believes Barca have undervalued the defender, comparing his value to that of recent Chelsea capture Kalidou Koulibaly, who signed for £33m from Napoli earlier this month.