Chelsea target Wesley Fofana asks to be excluded from Leicester squad to face Southampton

Chelsea target Wesley Fofana has asked to be excluded from selection for Leicester City this weekend, it has been revealed.

The 21-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this summer, with Thomas Tuchel keen to bring in another defender before the end of the transfer window.

Both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen departed the club at the end of their contracts, with Chelsea so far bringing in Kalidou Koulibaly as a replacement.

Marc Cucurella also arrived from Brighton and Hove Albion but has so far been preferred at wing-back rather than in the back three.

Wesley Fofana remains a target for Chelsea. (Alamy)

Opting to field Reece James on the right side of the three against Tottenham Hotspur, the Englishman returned to wing-back towards the end of the match and made more of an impact.

Therefore, Chelsea are still in the market for a right-sided defender to play in the back three and Fofana has been identified as the primary target. 

Leicester City want a world-record fee for a defender if they are to sell this summer, which has not been submitted yet.

Leicester boss Rodgers spoke to the media on Thursday, admitting: “He hasn’t (handed in a transfer request). He’s a great kid. He’s loved by his team-mates.

"He’s a great personality. He’s still developing. He’s nowhere near the finished article.

“Currently at this moment, there’s nothing new (regarding bids).

"We’ve spoken numbers of times about the whole situation and of course that’s a private conversation. Our communication is normal, and we just continue to prepare for the games.”

However, it now appears that Fofana has made his intentions clear, asking to be left out of the squad to face Southampton for the Foxes this weekend.

As reported by Rob Tanner and David Ornstein of The Athletic, Rodgers is set to leave the defender out of his matchday squad on Saturday.

Wesley Fofana could have played his last game for Arsenal. (Alamy)

The defender asked to not be involved, with Rodgers previously stating that he would be prepared to omit Fofana from his squad if he was impacted by Chelsea’s interest

The report continues to reiterate that Fofana is keen on a move to Chelsea but Leicester are determined to keep him for another year.

It remains to be seen whether the defender will join the Blues, and if Chelsea are prepared to meet Leicester’s valuation for Fofana.

With weeks remaining in the transfer window, there is sure to be some movement after the latest turn in the saga.