Chelsea And Leicester City Reach ‘Verbal Agreement’ Over Wesley Fofana Transfer
Chelsea finally succeeded in securing its preferred choice – Wesley Fofana. The talks for the transfer of the French international were going on for quite some time; however, Leicester City rejected three times before finally agreeing to let go of its defender for a record-breaking sum of about €82.5 million.
Chelsea All Set For Wesley Fofana Transfer
Both the clubs have reached a ‘verbal’ agreement, and in a short time, the deal will be cemented on paper too and will be made official. The transfer of the French defender was a hot topic in English media, and the major news portals were already anticipating a record-breaking deal.
All their predictions came true when the news revealed that blues had succeeded in capturing Fofana for €82 million. Moreover, the deal also includes additional benefits that will push the sum above €87 million, surpassing the transfer of Harry Maguire to Manchester United.
Besides, the deal will also bring considerable profits to ASSE, Fofana’s training club. ASSE included a clause of 20% on capital gains when the player left for the Foxes.
Chelsea’s Splurge to Acquire Top Players
Reportedly, Chelsea has already spent upward of €200 million in the current transfer window, but, the sources claimed, the run wasn’t over yet. Rafael Leao’s option is already in sight; however, another acquisition in priority was Fofana.
The blues negotiated for several weeks with Leicester City to let go of its defender, but City wasn’t ready to transfer its defender and reportedly rejected the deal three times. However, Chelsea’s tenacious pursuit finally came to fruition when the City accepted the offer of €82.5.
Notably, Leicester City has rebuffed the blues offer of €60m with the add-on of €10. Thomas Tuchel was searching for a young central defender and was hell-bent on getting Wesley Fofana on his side. And when the player is soon moving to Stamford Bridge, the blues will now have a valid option to complete the Kalidou Koulibaly and Thiago Silva duo.
After The ‘Verbal Agreement,’ Fofana Has Become The Most Expensive Defender In The World
Leicester City and Chelsea finally reached a verbal agreement for the transfer of French defender Fofana for a record-breaking sum.
The deal will eclipse the €80m transfer of Harry Maguire from Leicester to Manchester United in 2019 and will make the former AS Saint-Etienne player the most expensive defender in the world. Both the clubs went through several sessions of intensified negotiations and finally came to terms acceptable to all the parties involved. Per the reports, Fofana will benefit from the contract until 2028, which spans six years.
What Does The Move To Chelsea Mean to Fofana?
Wesley Fofana was out of the team for a long time following an injury. His long absence from the team, primarily due to his fractured fibula, prevented the central defender from playing for most of last season. The defender only appeared briefly in 12 games in Europa League Conference and Premier League.
A move to Chelsea will again put the player at the center of the action. Most importantly, coming to the fore with Chelsea will perhaps help the French defender catch the attention of Didier Deschamp and might secure him a place in the 2022 World Cup squad for his nation.
Moreover, Chelsea will also greatly benefit from adding Fofana to the team. His presence will strengthen the central defense and allow Thomas Tuchel more options, especially after the signing of Senegalese Kalidou Koulibaly.
The Deal Will Fill The Coffers of AS Saint-Étienne Too
The transfer of Fofana to Stamford Bridge for €82.5 million will also allow AS Saint-Étienne to pocket a considerable profit, boosting the club’s financial situation. The club will receive a nice commission of 20%.
The capital gains were negotiated during the transfer of the French defender to Leicester in 2019. Sing-Etienne must have been watching the progress of the negotiations closely. And when the deal is finally confirmed, they are set to receive around €10m as capital gains.
However, the French Club will not receive the whole amount at once but in installments. Interestingly the initial agreement for the transfer of Fofana from Saint-Étienne to Leicester City was of €40m and €5m add-ons, without any clause of the current incentive that the French Club will receive.
Wesley Fofana was the key player of the Leicester defense before his injury in the summer of 2021. He was up for a great run in the Premier League; however, his fibula injury slowed his progress.
Moving to Chelsea will allow the central defender to showcase his talent in front of Europe. And most importantly will boost his prospect of securing a seat in the 2022 World Cup squad.
