In a recent print edition, L’Equipe has stated that Leicester City are leading the chase for Saint-Etienne centre-back Wesley Fofana during this ongoing transfer window. However, it is understood that the Foxes will face stiff competition from Red Bull Leipzig and AC Milan in pursuit of the French defender before the transfer deadline in October (transcripted and translated by Sport Witness).
Fofana’s Recent Emergence In French Football
The Marseille-born defensive ace experienced one of the best seasons of his young career as he produced a series of commanding displays at the heart of Claude Puel’s defence. He registered two goals and eight yellow cards in 24 matches for the French outfit last season in various competitions.
Fofana found a run of consistency with his defensive contributions at the back after averaging 1.8 tackles, 2.6 interceptions and 3.7 clearances per game in the 2019-20 Ligue 1 campaign. The French prospect took care of the ball relatively well when distributing it out from the back as evident from his pass completion rate of 81.8% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
The 19-year-old could potentially become a future star in European football if he can continue to improve his overall game year by year. Therefore, it will be a massive coup for the Foxes if they can lure a promising young defender like Fofana to the King Power Stadium this summer. He will bolster Leicester’s squad depth considerably and help the Midlands outfit compete across multiple competitions in the years to come.
What Will The French Youngster Add To Brendan Rodgers’ Side?
Fofana has justified all the hype surrounding his promotion from Saint-Etienne’s B team to Puel’s first-team last summer by putting in some valiant defensive performances inside his half. He is a decent tackler and has made a habit of winning possession back for his team. The French starlet is often quick to react to the danger and is not shy of clearing his lines when being overrun by the opposition inside his penalty area.
An up-and-coming centre-back like Fofana will be an ideal signing for the East Midlands outfit in the long-run. He will add some serious competition for the likes of Caglar Soyuncu, Wes Morgan, Jonny Evans and Filip Benković at Leicester in the coming seasons. Plus, he will enhance the quality of Brendan Rodgers’ match-day squad which might help the Foxes cope with fixture congestion better in the future.
However, Fofana is still inexperienced at the highest level, so he might need some time to settle into life in English football if Rodgers can successfully snap him up before the transfer window comes to a close in October.
