• 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.

• Liam Rosenior says only victories can save his job after four straight league losses.
• Chelsea could fall from sixth to 11th if they lose at Brighton on Tuesday night.
• Wesley Fofana has said sorry for his angry reaction to being taken off against Manchester United.

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior accepts his position will come under heavy scrutiny unless he stops the club’s slide down the Premier League table.

Speaking ahead of the trip to Brighton, the 40-year-old admitted that warm words from co-owner Behdad Eghbali count for little while results remain poor. The Blues have dropped four games in a row and sit seven points behind fifth-placed Liverpool with only five fixtures left.

“The owners tell me they trust the project, but I live in the real world,” Rosenior said. “Four defeats on the spin at Chelsea is not acceptable. I have to fix it quickly.”

Tuesday’s clash at the Amex Stadium is already being billed as must-win. Another setback could see Chelsea plummet to 11th before they host Nottingham Forest on 4 May.

Rosenior has placed responsibility on his young squad to show fight. “We can’t wait for favours from other clubs. This is about character, about who is ready to stand up for the badge.”

He confirmed that defender Wesley Fofana has apologised for kicking out at the bench after his substitution in Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Manchester United. The manager wants his players to improve their image. “When cameras catch a moment of frustration, it writes a story people remember. We have to write a better one.”

Injuries continue to mount. Estêvão Willian, Jamie Gittens and club captain Reece James are battling hamstring issues, while João Pedro has a thigh complaint. Rosenior rejected claims that his training loads are the cause, pointing out that the medical department was already studying the problem before he replaced Enzo Maresca in January. “The simple fact is we’ve asked players to play too many matches in a short period. That risk is well documented.”

• Liam Rosenior says Chelsea’s owners and directors give him total backing even after four straight league losses.
• The 41-year-old trainer took charge on 1 January, yet the Blues now sit seven points off the top-five chase.
• Wesley Fofana has said sorry for snubbing a coach on camera, and will still travel to Brighton on Tuesday night.

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior says every daily chat with the club’s power brokers leaves him in no doubt they trust his work.

The former Hull City manager stepped in when Enzo Maresca exited on New Year’s Day, but a 2-0 home loss to Manchester United at the weekend stretched the team’s league rut to four defeats and zero goals.

That slump leaves the west London outfit trailing fifth-placed Liverpool by seven points, placing a Champions League spot — the board’s stated minimum — in serious jeopardy.

Yet, speaking ahead of the mid-week trip to Brighton, Rosenior was clear: “The owners, the sporting directors, we talk all the time. Their support is 100 percent. We all know wins must come quickly, but we plan together for the long road.”

Co-owner Behdad Eghbali echoed that stance last week, telling fans that while “results matter,” the club believe Rosenior can deliver silverware. Eghbali also admitted the squad may need older heads this summer after assembling the division’s youngest roster.

Rosenior welcomed the honesty: “He wants trophies year after year. We’ve mapped out steps for now, for pre-season, for the future. Everyone understands the job.”

Off-pitch drama surfaced when viral clips showed defender Wesley Fofana walking past assistant coach Justin Walker after Saturday’s defeat. Rosenior revealed the France centre-back has apologised, insisting the flash-point will not influence selection at the Amex.

“Wes is hurting because we’re losing,” the coach explained. “Young players will show frustration; we just channel it better. The group spirit is strong.”

Injury news is less upbeat. Teen winger Estevao Willian will miss the Brighton clash with a hamstring problem, while striker Joao Pedro faces a late fitness test. Defender Levi Colwill, recovering from a long knee lay-off, played 45 minutes in a closed-door friendly on Friday but needs more under-21 minutes before a senior return.