Chelsea to make third Wesley Fofana bid but wary of Harry Maguire criticism

Chelsea are set to make a third bid for Wesley Fofana but do not want to make him the most expensive centre-back in football, according to reports.

One of the Blues’ main objectives for the summer transfer window was to bring in defensive recruitments amid the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.

They have had success in that department so far with the signing of Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli, with the 31-year-old being linked with a move to the club for many years.

However, Chelsea have also missed out on a couple of their other targets for the summer, with Matthijs de Ligt and Jules Kounde moving to Bayern Munich and Barcelona respectively.

The window closes at the start of September so time could soon be running out for the west London side, who are keen to further strengthen their squad for the season.

A move for Fofana is being worked on though, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that they are preparing a new proposal for him.

The Foxes are still insisting that their Frenchman is not for sale, but Chelsea will continue their efforts to try and sign him despite having a £70 million bid rejected last week.

Fofana himself wants the move to happen, with Thomas Tuchel’s side set to maintain their pursuit for the 21-year-old.

However, the Evening Standard have reported that Chelsea do not want to make him the most expensive centre-back in the world should they sign him.

This comes after the amount of criticism Manchester United captain Harry Maguire, the current holder of the title, has faced since his move from the Foxes in 2019.

He made a big money move from the King Power Stadium to Old Trafford after his impressive performances at the former, but has failed to live up to expectations in Manchester.

Maguire’s move cost around £80 million, and a successful bid from Chelsea for Fofana could exceed this figure, with the player not being for sale unless Leicester receive ‘an exceptional offer’.

Wesley Fofana #3 of Leicester City waves to the supporters. (Alamy)

The Blues could have lost another one of their defenders this summer as captain Cesar Azpilicueta was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona.

However, he has now signed a new deal until 2024, with the experienced Spaniard now set to stay at the club for a couple more seasons after reaching the decade milestone this year.

Azpilicueta recently spoke on the decision to stay at Stamford Bridge and said: “It's true that it is a very rare situation. I was out of contract until March. I played the games but the club was still under sanctions so everybody can talk for you and your name. 

“My actions spoke for themselves. I stayed committed to the club, I played the games and that's even though I didn't know what was going to happen.

"The new owners arrived and we had very honest conversations. I decided that it was right to stay at home. It has been a crazy last few months.

"It felt right to carry on my journey here in a new project and I am really looking forward to the new season.”