LONDON —
Chelsea have completed the signing of France U-21 international central
defender Wesley Fofana from Leicester City, the two clubs announced on
Wednesday.
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Fofana, 21, has signed a seven-year deal at
Stamford Bridge, the London outfit said.
The transfer fee is undisclosed but reports
in the UK said Chelsea would pay their Premier League rivals £70 million plus
bonuses for the former Saint-Etienne player.
“Wesley is a hugely promising defender who
has already proven his quality in the Premier League at a young age,” said
Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly.
“We are delighted we were able to bring one
of Europe’s most exciting talents to Chelsea and further strengthen that area
of our squad, both for this season and many more to come.”
Fofana is the latest player signed in this
transfer window to bolster Chelsea’s defense, following the arrivals of
Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli and Marc Cucurella from Brighton and Hove Albion.
Thomas Tuchel’s side have also added England
forward Raheem Sterling from Manchester City in the transfer window, which
closes on Thursday.
“I trained this morning with the team and
it’s a dream for me. I’m very excited to start playing games for the fans and
the club,” Fofana said.
Fofana made 52 appearances for Leicester
after moving to the Foxes in October 2020 for a reported £32 million from
Saint-Etienne, winning the FA Cup in 2021 when they beat Chelsea.
He made his Saint-Etienne debut as an
18-year-old and played alongside current Arsenal and France center-back William
Saliba for Les Verts.
Fofana follows goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in leaving Leicester
this summer, with the Foxes yet to make any major new signings.
“He departs with the thanks of everyone at Leicester City
and the Club’s best wishes for the next phase of his career,” Leicester said in
a statement.
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