Chelsea are considering a move for Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana this summer, according to reports.
This comes as Thomas Tuchel is in desperate need of central defenders as he looks to bolster his squad ahead of the Premier League season.
Both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen departed Stamford Bridge on free transfers during the summer, leaving the Blues light at the back.
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Kalidou Koulibaly has already come through the door, while Chelsea have been linked with several other central defenders.
Speaking after Chelsea’s 4-0 loss to Arsenal in pre-season, Tuchel admitted that he is looking for defensive reinforcements in order to play his preferred system next season.
"We had an urgent appeal for quality players and a huge amount of quality players. We got two quality players no doubt but we’re not competitive like this and you could see that today,” he said.
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"If you want to play three at the back you need to have three in the back. If you don’t, it’s not worth playing three in the back.
"Given that Kalidou (Koulibaly) was ready for only 25 mins today and who was available we tried to play 4-4-2.
"I think it was not a structure problem. It was behaviour in the structure. That’s much more important."
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Chelsea have most recently been linked with a move for Jules Kounde but things ‘came to a standstill’ as the Blues refused to submit official documents despite a verbal agreement, paving the way for the 23-year-old to join Barcelona this summer.
Now, as reported by the Daily Mail, Chelsea are weighing up a move for Leicester central defender Fofana.
The Blues have previously been interested in the 21-year-old, who has recently recovered from a long-term injury, breaking his leg.
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He signed a new deal recently too, running until 2027, so it will take a hefty fee to sign the Frenchman from Leicester.
90min supported the reports, stating that Tuchel’s side are now ready to make an offer to their fellow Premier League side.
They believe that Tuchel wants at least three new central defenders after losing Kurt Zouma last season alongside Christensen and Rudiger.
So far only Koulibaly has arrived and Cesar Azpilicueta has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona.
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It remains to be seen as to whether any progress can be made regarding Fofana as the Blues look to up their transfer plans with the season less than two weeks away.
Topics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Wesley Fofana, Leicester City, Football, Transfers, Premier League, Thomas Tuchel, Jules Kounde
Nick Emms