Chelsea ‘make contact’ with Leicester defender following Antonio Rudiger contract blow
Chelsea are reportedly interested in Leicester defender Wesley Fofana following a setback in their attempts to sign Antonio Rudiger.
The Blues are desperate to persuade the German defender to sign a new contract, as Rudiger is nearing the end of his current deal.
Under Thomas Tuchel’s tutelage, Rudiger has developed into a key player and one of the best defenders in the Premier League.
However, he has made no guarantees about agreeing to a new contract at Stamford Bridge, leaving the Blues to begin making contingency plans.
Chelsea have identified Fofana as a possible replacement for Rudiger, according to Foot Mercato.
According to the report, the Blues were interested in Fofana last year before injury cut short his impressive debut season with the Foxes.
Chelsea, on the other hand, appear set to reignite that interest as the uncertainty surrounding Rudiger’s future continues well into the New Year.
Manchester United are also keeping an eye on the 20-year-old, who is nearing a return to action after suffering a fractured fibula and ankle ligament damage in a pre-season match against Villarreal.
Following his £30 million move from Saint Etienne, Fofana settled into life in the Premier League with ease, putting in a commanding performance in the FA Cup final in May as Leicester defeated Chelsea.
It’s likely that the Blues will have to pay a high price to bring Fofana to London, as the youngster is under contract until 2025, which means the Foxes will demand more than the £80m they received when Harry Maguire joined United in 2019.
Although the Blues appear to be preparing for life without Rudiger, there is still a chance he will choose to stay at Stamford Bridge.
In recent weeks, reports have suggested that Barcelona and Real Madrid are interested in signing the 28-year-old.
Bayern Munich are the most recent club to join the chase for Rudiger, with BILD reporting that Bayern are hoping to entice the Blues defender with a contract worth £200,000 per week.
Rudiger has been extremely reticent to comment publicly on his future and has attempted to downplay any talk of a possible exit from the Premier League.
However, the defender is free to begin negotiating with clubs outside of England in January, and the coveted defender would be able to leave Chelsea for nothing.
“For now I am only concentrating on what is happening right now,” he told reporters earlier this week. “I owe that to the club, the coach and the team.
“I’m currently only focused on Chelsea. We’ll see what happens.”
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Chelsea ‘make contact’ with Leicester defender following Antonio Rudiger contract blow
