Chelsea are 'working on deals' to sign defensive duo Wesley Fofana and Denzel Dumfries this summer, according to reports.
Thomas Tuchel wants to add more defenders to his side this summer after losing both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen. He has already brought in Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli, but the Chelsea head coach wants more.
Chelsea have already lost out on Jules Kounde and Matthijs de Ligt to Barcelona and Juventus respectively, and are currently exploring alternatives.
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During their pre-season tour of the United States, Tuchel provided an update on their hopes os adding more players to their defence.
He said: "We are looking for guys who can play on the left side.
"Toni (Rudiger) played on the left side and was not a left-footed guy, so maybe Kalidou [Koulibaly] can play there because he plays in a back-four on the left side, but let’s see what is possible.
"It is not only about bringing players in for numbers; we need numbers, we also need quality so we will make some decisions late, not only about players but also about systems.
"Ideally we would have a left-footer."
Chelsea were gauging interest in Leicester's Fofana but it was thought he was not for sale after he signed a new deal back in March until 2027 with the Foxes.
However, as reported by The Athletic, that has not put Tuchel's side off who are now seeing if they can strike a deal for the 21-year-old.
Fofana is high on their list of targets and with Leicester's valuation at around £80-85 million, Chelsea hope they could lower the asking price by offering players in return.
Chelsea are trying to offload many players this summer, including Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ross Barkley and Michy Batshuayi.
While Levi Colwill could be an attractive option for Leicester with his Chelsea future still unclear.
They have 'no desire' to let Fofana leave this summer which would make any potential deal very difficult.
Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries is also on the list and Chelsea are working on a deal to bring him in to provide cover for Reece James.
Chelsea have already done business with Inter this summer involving Romelu Lukaku's return to the San Siro, and Inter need to raise funds, which could help a deal get agreed.
Whether or not the Blues can get one or both deals over the line remains unclear, but it is stated that their attempts to sign Fofana and Dumfries are not a case of one or the other - but both.
Topics: Wesley Fofana, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Leicester City, Football, Transfers
Matthew Debono