Chelsea and Leicester reached a verbal agreement for the transfer of Wesley Fofana on Friday; the defender is flying to the USA to undergo a medical, according to The Athletic; Fofana will sign a six-year deal with the Blues
Monday 29 August 2022 16:23, UK
Wesley Fofana is set to undergo his Chelsea medical on Monday ahead of a £70m move from Leicester.
Fofana has reportedly flown to the USA for the tests.
According to The Athletic, this is for new owner Toddy Boehly's "peace of mind" after Fofana's serious injury last season. He missed most of the campaign due to a fractured fibula.
Chelsea and Leicester reached a verbal agreement on Friday after a protracted saga over his valuation. Leicester had wanted more than the £80m they got from Manchester United for Harry Maguire.
This had frustrated the player and he was left out of the Foxes' last two games against Chelsea and Southampton.
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said last week: "He won't be available for the weekend [against Chelsea] and has trained with the U23 squad.
"My concentration is on the players that we have, and the team. I can't lose energy. If something will be done, it will be done with the clubs. Until that happens we just have to work with what we have."
Rodgers added: "Hopefully [there will be some transfer business done between now and the end of the window]. That would be really good for the team to be able to do that, to improve the squad is always important. But until that changes, we will work with what we have."
Fofana is now expected to sign a six-year deal as a Chelsea player and fulfil his dream of emulating Didier Drogba by playing for the club. Drogba is considered a legend in Fofana's home city of Marseille.
Before a verbal agreement was reached, a third Chelsea bid for Fofana, worth £70m in total, was immediately rejected.
The offer was believed to be £60m with a possible £10m in add-ons - but the additional payments were described to Sky Sports News as "ambitious" targets.
Chelsea previously had two bids in excess of £60m rejected.
Bayer Leverkusen have agreed a season-long loan deal with Chelsea for winger Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Hudson-Odoi is expected to fly to Germany on Monday for a medical.
The move was in danger of collapse 24 hours ago as Leverkusen wanted an option inserted in the deal, but Chelsea only wanted a straight loan. It will be the first time the forward has been loaned out by the club.
Talks went into the night with Hudson-Odoi's representative - his brother Bradley - able to convince Leverkusen to take the deal on the terms Chelsea wanted.
Analysis by Sam Tabuteau
Earlier this year, American businessman Todd Boehly agreed a £4.25bn deal to buy Chelsea and quickly set about investing for both the long and short term. The arrivals of Raheem Sterling, Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly strengthened the first team, whilst a combined £50 million was spent on bringing in youngsters Carney Chukwuemeka, Gabriel Slonina and Cesare Casadei.
Chelsea have spent heavily, but the fact is they had to. With the departures of Lukaku, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Timo Werner, The Blues have been left bereft of options both in defence and attack.
Fofana looks to be next, and potentially Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. It will be a key few days for Boehly and Co in the transfer market, and it could have a major impact on their prospects this season.
Chelsea are currently attempting to place square pegs in round holes, with Reece James and Ruben Loftus-Cheek playing out of position, a consequence of Chelsea's failure to bring in another centre-back and a striker. James has adapted well to his new role, but it is clear his attributes are best served by playing wing-back, and this, in turn, is holding back Chelsea's attacking play.
Fans know a title challenge is probably beyond them. Chelsea have replaced but not revolutionised their squad, and with Tottenham and Arsenal on their heels, a top-four finish would be deemed acceptable. But another year of transition, and a distinct lack of progress, despite heavy investment, might make fans question the club's direction and Tuchel's credentials.
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.
