It is now official. Chelsea have secured the signing of Wesley Fofana from Leicester City in a blockbuster move for a fee of £75 million.
Gary Lineker all but confirmed the move recently in a tweet where he said his goodbyes to the French defender. In his tweet, Lineker referred to the 21-year-old as a “prodigiously talented young central defender”.
Chelsea Sign Wesley Fofana
Welcome, Wesley! 😁#FofanaIsChelsea
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 31, 2022
Swift Change
At one point it appeared that the Foxes wouldn’t sell the young defender. Reports emerged that it would take a world record bid to make them budge but things changed quite quickly. The player himself got frustrated and began angling for a “dream move” to Stamford Bridge.
It is confirmed. The fee is £70m guaranteed with achievable add-ons, but the final figure will not exceed £80m so it isn't a world record. #LCFC #CFC https://t.co/7NKVzOZFML
— Rob Tanner (@RobTannerLCFC) August 31, 2022
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A Strong Signing
With this signing, Chelsea have completed their back line. Their current defensive lineup is a complete murderer’s row containing Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella, Reece James, and now Fofana. The back line was the biggest issue coming into this transfer window and both Thomas Tuchel and Todd Boehly have done an impressive job filling in the gaps.
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Following the departures of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger, the centre of the defence specifically was in need of repair. While Silva and Koulibaly are on the older side, The Blues’ newest signing is sure to be a cornerstone of the club’s defence for many years to come.
While the fee was a bit high, there is often a price to pay for quality youth. If the 21-year-old can perform consistently throughout his time in London then the £70 million plus add ons will look like a steal in no time.
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