Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers has confirmed why his club rejected Chelsea’s first bid for Wesley Fofana.
The 21-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this summer as the Blues seek defensive reinforcements.
Despite the signings of Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly, Thomas Tuchel is still keen to bring in further central defenders after losing both Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger during the summer.
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Cesar Azpilicueta extended his deal at the club, penning a two-year deal to end Barcelona’s interest in the captain.
It was reported that Chelsea are ‘obsessed’ with signing Fofana as a defensive option this summer, with a bid of £60 million already being submitted this summer.
Fofana took to social media earlier this month to drop hints regarding his future, removing his current employers from his bio on both Instagram and Twitter.
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With Chelsea defender Levi Colwill departing on loan to Brighton and Hove Albion, the Blues will make a move for another defender this summer.
However, they have been dealt a blow in their pursuit for Fofana as Rodgers opened up on his player and the reason why Leicester rejected Chelsea’s first bid of £60 million.
As quoted by Leicestershire Live, Rodgers revealed: “There's been an offer to the club, but nowhere near the valuation of our ownership. We didn't even think about it.
“The club know the value of what they have, and any player that leaves here, they will always want the top valuation on that player. That's only natural, but historically, Leicester have done that very well.”
The former Chelsea coach continued to discuss the potential sales of Leicester’s key players such as Fofana or James Maddison this summer.
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“I know the situation we're in, I know the club that we are,” he continued.
“If you're working well and your team has talented players, they're always going to be coveted by so-called bigger clubs that can pay them more money. That 's going to happen, it's about being ready for the next part of it. That's something the club have done very well.
“I don’t need the reassurance as such. I understand football and how the game works. At this moment in time the club is in a very strong position with very talented players and we’ve got players on good contracts already, and the club don’t need to sell our biggest assets. I’m pretty calm on that side.”
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Since Rodger’s quotes, Chelsea submitted a £70 million bid as they improved their offer in order to sign the French defender.
However, this has also been rejected as the Blues are reportedly ready to pay Leicester’s valuation for their star this summer.
It remains to be seen as to whether the Foxes will accept Chelsea’s next bid for Fofana as the Blues hope to conclude a deal by the end of the transfer window.
Topics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Wesley Fofana, Brendan Rodgers, Football, Transfers, Premier League, Leicester City
Nick Emms