Why Chelsea are favourites to beat Real Madrid and Man Utd to Fofana
Robin Bairner
- 18 Nov 2021 09:43 GMT
- 5 min read
Chelsea and Real Madrid are set to go head-to-head in the race for a centre-back next summer as both seek to reinforce their defence – and Leicester’s Wesley Fofana has emerged as a major target for both.
Manchester United are also associated with the 20-year-old Fofana, who emerged as a major star last season after making the move from Saint-Etienne to the Foxes.
Chelsea have numerous players coming to the end of their contracts at Stamford Bridge this summer, with Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta all coming to the end of their present deals.
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Meanwhile, Madrid have not replaced Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane, who departed in the summer. David Alaba arrived from Bayern Munich, but they are still one body down.
The need at Manchester United, meanwhile, is not so significant, with Harry Maguire and Varane installed as the two first-choice defenders. Fofana would represent another strong option, something that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are presently without.
Fofana is seen as a potential player for all three clubs, though the France U21 international is presently out with a broken leg suffered in a pre-season match with Villarreal.
Chelsea leading the race
Chelsea are leading the race for Fofana, according to FootMercato, which states that contact between the Blues and Leicester has already been opened up.
Of the three primary clubs in the race for the centre-back, they have the greatest need combined with significant financial clout.
However, they showed in their chase for Sevilla’s Jules Kounde that they will not allow themselves to pay more than what they perceive to be the market worth of the player. Kounde, another young Frenchman, had his move from Sevilla breakdown in the summer as Chelsea refused to pay €80 million for him.
Fofana, meanwhile, could cost a similar price.
Man Utd’s need for a centre-back, meanwhile, is not as urgent as Chelsea’s potentially could be. Indeed, their status in this chase is simply that they are monitoring proceedings at present.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid are unlikely to be able to afford such a sum, with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland the two players highest on their summer shortlist.
Fofana may be away from the pitch, then, but the Leicester star is certainly not forgotten.
