Chelsea were been dealt a blow this weekend when, after their win over West Ham, it was confirmed that German centre-back and key figure Antonio Rudiger has reached an agreement to leave Stamford Bridge. After the 1-0 win, Thomas Tuchel confirmed that the 29-year-old would be leaving the club with a move to Real Madrid looking the likely destination.
It has already been confirmed that Andreas Christensen will be leaving the club for Barcelona in the summer, and with the long-term futures of Cesar Azpilicueta and Thiago Silva also in doubt due to their ages, it will be the number one priority to secure a centre-back option.
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Former Blues captain and centre-back John Terry has slammed the decisions that have led to the current contract situation, losing two top centre-backs for free. He commented on Instagram "how have we let him go?" on a Chelsea post with fans agreeing with the legendary former player's thoughts.
However, the situation does present the club and its new owners with an opportunity to start from a clean slate with the Evening Standard reporting that Wesley Fofana of Leicester City has emerged as a potential option along with well-known target Jules Kounde of Sevilla.
Fofana, 21, has been limited to just six Premier League appearances this season due to injury but was integral last term as the Foxes finished in fifth place and beat Chelsea to win the FA Cup Final. The Frenchman was born in Marseille before making his name with Saint-Etienne prior to a £36.5million move to the Premier League.
Having impressed since returning from injury earlier this month, the Frenchman may be a difficult target to secure due to having only recently signed a new five-year deal at the King Power Stadium. However, the draw of Champions League football may be enough to tempt Fofana to West London.