News Focus
- Chelsea offer Wesley Fofana to Barcelona for €30 million
- The French centre-back has battled serious knee injuries since 2022
- Barcelona want a loan deal but Chelsea prefer permanent transfer
- Catalan club also hold interest in João Pedro and Marc Cucurella
- Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni remains Barcelona’s priority target
Chelsea are willing to let defender Wesley Fofana leave Stamford Bridge this summer. The Premier League club have told Barcelona they can sign the Frenchman for €30 million.
The centre-back moved to West London from Leicester City in 2022 for €80.4 million. However, his time at the club has been full of fitness problems.
Fofana suffered a bad knee injury during his first season with the Blues. This kept him out for the entire 2023-24 campaign. He managed only 14 matches last term.
This season has brought more game time. The 24-year-old has played 34 matches, scored one goal, and received one red card. He has started 27 games and played 2,400 minutes. Manager Enzo Maresca picked him regularly in the second half of the season. Yet the coach left him out of key clashes against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and Leeds United in the FA Cup.
According to Sky Sport CH, Fofana’s agents have offered him to the La Liga giants. They explained that Chelsea want €30 million plus add-ons. The London club will not block his exit.
Barcelona also want Chelsea forward João Pedro and left-back Marc Cucurella. The Catalan side would prefer to take Fofana on loan with an option to buy. This follows the model they used for Marcus Rashford. Chelsea, however, want a permanent sale.
Barcelona still see Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni as their top choice for defence. However, completing that deal looks difficult. The Blaugrana expect many player offers over the coming months.