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Wesley Fofana: Chelsea working on deal to sign Leicester City central defender

Leicester centre-back Wesley Fofana has five years remaining on his current contract; Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers plays down suggested summer exit of James Maddison; both players started Leicester final pre-season game, Sunday's 1-0 win over Sevilla

Wesley Fofana celebrates after scoring for Leicester against Rennes
Image: Leicester City's Wesley Fofana is a Chelsea target

Chelsea are working on a deal to sign Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana.

Leicester's asking price could be prohibitive, with reports suggesting they could demand up to £85m, given Fofana has five years left on his contract.

The France U21 international signed a two-year contract extension with Leicester in March, which keeps him at the King Power Stadium until 2027. It is thought Chelsea are exploring a deal which would involve players as part of the offer.

Chelsea have signed Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli and have made attempts to bring in Manchester City's Nathan Ake and Sevilla's Jules Kounde following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.

Wesley Fofana only played 630 minutes in the Premier League last season due to injuries, but, per 90 minutes, the centre-back ranked fifth in the league for recoveries in the defensive third and 15th for passes completed
Image: Wesley Fofana only played 630 minutes in the Premier League last season due to injuries, but, per 90 minutes, the centre-back ranked fifth in the league for recoveries in the defensive third and 15th for passes completed

Rodgers plays down Maddison exit talk after Newcastle bid

Fofana started Leicester's final game of pre-season, Sunday's 1-0 victory over La Liga side Sevilla, alongside James Maddison, who has been the subject of a £40m bid from Newcastle United.

James Maddison provided Leicester's creative spark
Image: James Maddison joined Leicester in 2018

Speaking after the game, Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers played down the idea of the 25-year-old Maddison leaving the King Power Stadium this summer.

Asked about the offer, Rodgers told BBC Radio Leicester: "He's still very much a player here. You see his performance, you see how happy he is and he's not a player we want to sell.

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"It's not for me to put valuations on the players, it's not my side, but that might just cover three-quarters of his left leg, that price. He's a top player."

Kasper Schmeichel
Image: Kasper Schmeichel has been linked with a move away from Leicester

Rodgers also appeared to open the door for goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to leave the club, amid reported interest from French club Nice.

He added: "There is nothing I'm aware of - a little bit of interest over the summer. Kasper has earned the right to think about the next chapter of his career and where he'll be."

Pereira's Achilles injury 'doesn't look good'

Ricardo Pereira tangles with Gabriel Martinelli
Image: Ricardo Pereira has suffered an Achilles injury ahead of the new season

Rodgers says Ricardo Pereira has suffered an Achilles injury that "doesn't look good" ahead of the Premier League opener next weekend.

After Pereira came off in the friendly win over Sevilla on Sunday, Rodgers told BBC Radio Leicester: "We're disappointed with Rickie coming off. It doesn't look good but we'll see how it is.

"We had an awful injury here last year which set us back. So we are hoping it might not be as bad, but it doesn't look good."

Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports

Who will be on the move this summer before the transfer window closes at 11pm on September 1.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.

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