Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers has explained his decision to start Foxes stars James Maddison and Wesley Fofana for their Premier League clash against Brentford as Chelsea 'speculation' continues for the latter.
The Foxes are one of the last teams to kick off their own 2022/23 campaign as they host Brentford at the King Power Stadium. Much of the talk going into the game has been about the futures of the aforementioned duo. The former of the pair has seemingly done a U-turn on his stance as the Coventry-born attacking midfielder is now close to signing a new Leicester City extension to his current deal which would inadvertently end Newcastle's pursuit.
Two bids had been made over the £50million mark but none satisfied the Foxes who usually hold out for big money if selling one of their star players. This is the stance they have taken with their number 3 who they have priced at around £85m. So far, the Blues have made two bids and had their £70m most recent proposal turned down.
READ MORE: Brendan Rodgers confirms Wesley Fofana Leicester stance change as Chelsea propose £70m transfer
football.london understands that new owner Todd Boehly is prepared to break the record transfer for a defender if negotiations causes this outcome. However, nothing is imminent as demonstrated by Fofana's inclusion in the starting line-up for the game against Chelsea's west London counterparts.
When explaining the decisions pre-match to Sky Sports, Rodgers said on the focus on the duo: "Yes, 100 per cent. I think it's always a challenging time until the window shuts. There's always speculation and gossip around players leaving but I always assess the players everyday and if their mentality and commitment doesn't change, then that's all you want.
"So, yeah, both players are very important players for us and I look forward to seeing them play."
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