Former Chelsea star Glen Johnson has urged the Blues to sign Wesley Fofana... in a deal he believes will give them the Premier League's best defence.
Thomas Tuchel saw his options at the back weakened when Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen left Stamford Bridge at the end of last season. The German snapped up Kalidou Koulibaly to stiffen his backline, although he saw the Senegal captain sent off during the defeat to Leeds on Sunday.
French youngster Fofana has been a target of Chelsea's for much of the summer, but Leicester have insisted that he is not for sale. The Blues are thought to be preparing an £80million bid for the centre-back, which they hope will tempt the Foxes into agreeing a deal.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers left him out of his squad for his side's last two games, a defeat to Southampton and a penalty shoot-out win over Stockport County. Rather than tactical reasons, the Foxes boss has revealed the decision is due to Fofana having had his head turned.
With Fofana clearly keen to leave the King Power Stadium and join Tuchel's side, Johnson believes it is time for them to correct a long-term transfer error as the former FA Cup winner encouraged the Blues to make another push to sign the Frenchman.
“It does possibly make Chelsea ’s defence the strongest in the Premier League on paper. You’d have experience and youth as well as three athletes, so you’d struggle to get better than that," he told Betting Odds.
"Chelsea should have bought Fofana years ago. I’m surprised he’s been at Leicester this long because a few years ago he was one of the best defenders around and he couldn’t even get in the French team.
"I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. They could have got him for relatively cheap a few years ago but now they’re going to have to pay double now.”
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Kouliably is one of six signings that Chelsea have made so far this summer, with the defender joining Raheem Sterling, Marc Cucurella, Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei and Gabriel Slonina in moving to Stamford Bridge.
That business has been hailed by Johnson, who has insisted that the Blues have had the best window of all the Premier League clubs. Though he admitted that he wanted Rudiger to stay, the former Chelsea star has been pleased with Tuchel's work.
“I’d say Chelsea have had the best. Kalidou Koulibaly looks brilliant; he’s going to help them out massively. Raheem Sterling is a great signing and they have big hopes for Marc Cucurella at left-back," he added.
"I can’t think of anyone else that has signed three big players like that. I would have liked Rüdiger to stay. I think that was a bit of a mistake and he would have had a good partnership with Koulibaly.
"He’s probably the only player I would have kept from the players they’ve sold this summer, so overall I think they’ve done good business.”
