Chelsea have announced the signing of Wesley Fofana from Leicester City. football.london understands the deal is worth an initial £70million but could eventually be over £80million should the add-ons be reached.
The Blues had a long-term interest in the 21-year-old defender and after missing out on Jules Kounde, who joined Barcelona, Todd Boehly decided to go all in for the Leicester centre-back. It took four offers and weeks of negotiations but Chelsea have finally got their man.
Fofana will now be available for this weekend's match against West Ham United and could come straight into the side. The Frenchman is expected to be used as the right centre-back in Thomas Tuchel's 3-4-2-1 system.
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The French defender has signed a seven-year contract with Chelsea and he sounds delighted about the move. Speaking to the club's official website, he said: "The two last days have been really big days for me and I’m very happy.
"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. I’m here to win trophies – the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, everything. I came here to win and the club is built to win trophies so I’m here to continue that."
Meanwhile, Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly said: "Wesley is a hugely promising defender who has already proven his quality in the Premier League at a young age. 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."
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