According to reports, Chelsea have identified Leicester City center-half Wesley Fofana to replace Antonio Rudiger next summer.
The chances of Antonio Rudiger leaving Stamford Bridge looks more and more likely every day. The German defender has been a key figure and leader at the back since the appointment of Thomas Tuchel. Despite his importance in the Chelsea squad, he is out of contact in just 6 months. Rudiger’s current contract expires in summer 2022 and he is allowed to talk to other clubs from January.
Reports suggest that Antonio Rudiger’s brother and agent Sahr Senesie held talks with Real Madrid over the last couple of weeks. It is also reported that the two parties have reached an ‘informal agreement’ and the defender will move to the Santiago Bernabeu next summer. The switch to Real Madrid will see the German defender become the best-paid defender in the world.
Wesley Fofana enjoyed a stellar first season at Leicester City. He played a massive part in the FA Cup triumph for the foxes. He established himself as one of the best center-halves in the Premier League. The French defender made 38 appearances in all competitions for Leicester City last term. (stats via Tranfermarkt)
Wesley Fofana picked up a nasty injury during the pre-season and is currently still on the sidelines. But making up good ground in his recovery phase. The young defender is still expected to be out until 2022.
Will Fofana be a success at Chelsea?
Chelsea defenders Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta are also out of contract next summer. So with three-star defenders potentially on the move next summer, Chelsea needs to start looking for replacements already.
The European champions are also scouting fellow French and Sevilla center-half Jules Kounde. Chelsea will be keeping a close eye on Fofana’s recovery progress and his performances once he returns from injury.
Last season Wesley Fofana averaged 1.6 tackles, 2.2 interceptions, 0.6 blocks per game in the Premier League. On top of that, he averaged 3.3 clearances per game. He also managed 86.4% pass accuracy in the Premier League last term. (stats via WhoScored)
Leicester paid a fee reportedly worth around £30m for Fofana last summer and can expect a considerable profit. Leicester are well known for buying talented players for cheap and developing them, then sell them for massive transfer fees. We can expect the same in this situation.
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