Wesley Fofana handed punishment amid Chelsea interest
Written By
Ernest SundayA passionate sports journalist with an eye for detail.
"Fofana is now training with the U23s after failing to turn up to a training session last week," Leicester City's coach Brendan Rodgers revealed in a press conference.
Over the past few weeks, Wesley Fofana has been a subject of interest from the English Premier League side, Chelsea, as the club pushes to bolster their defensive department this season.
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is a fervent admirer of the Frenchman, who he sees as the best alternative after missing out on Jules Kounde and Matthijs de Ligt to Barcelona and German giants Bayern Munich.
Chelsea have seen two offers for Fofana turned down in the past few weeks by Leicester City, with the club maintaining their stance of keeping him this season.
In a post-match press conference following Leicester's ELF Cup match against Stockport County, Rodgers revealed that they had received a fresh third bid worth £60 plus £10 add-ons from Chelsea but believes his side will not accept any bid for the defender.
"I believe so. The club told me earlier on, " Rodgers said. I don't know too much details around it because I have been concentrating on the game. I believe it was rejected, yes. " But nothing more."
Chelsea continue to push for Fofana's transfer, having reached a personal agreement with the player's camp weeks ago. The London club lost two of their defenders, Antonio Rüdiger and Andreas Christensen, to Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively, and are seeking to bolster their defensive department.
The Blues have only succeeded in signing former Napoli's Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly and are hoping to add Fofana to their defensive department, but the deal has become difficult due to Leicester City's refusal to let their player leave this summer.
Despite their third bid being rejected, Chelsea are not abandoning their pursuit of Fofana, who is also keen to join Thomas Tuchel's side this summer.
Fofana made a fine start to his Premier League career when he arrived at King Power Stadium in 2020 from French Ligue 1 side Saint-Étienne. The 21-year-old talent, who made 38 appearances across all competitions in his maiden season, missed most of the 2021 season due to a fibula fracture injury.
Despite making only 12 appearances in 2021, Fofana is still highly rated, with Chelsea attempting to bring him to Stamford Bridge before the transfer window closes.