Leicester City will reportedly make a move to sign Borussia Dortmund defender Manuel Akanji should Chelsea land Wesley Fofana in the final week of the transfer window, with Arsenal also keen on the Swiss international.
According to the Telegraph, the Foxes are prepared for a fourth bid from the Blues for the 21-year-old centre-back, with Leicester valuing Fofana at £85m, the same amount the 2016 Premier League champions received for Harry Maguire back in 2019, with Chelsea likely to meet this valuation.
As a result of Fofana potentially leaving, Leicester have identified a replacement for the French youth international in Dortmund defender Akanji, who is set to leave the Bundesliga giants this summer though offers are yet to materialise for the 27-year-old centre-back.
Whilst no club is yet to come in for Akanji, interest has been there for the former FC Basel star, with Arsenal and even Manchester United reportedly interested in the Dortmund defender, yet Leicester’s interest in the centre-back could be the most concrete update of a Premier League side signing the centre-back.
Indeed, Akanji would provide immediate cover for Fofana should the Leicester colossus leave the King Power Stadium for Chelsea, and at 27, the defender is in the prime of his career, which could help Brenden Rodgers a lot following their dreadful start to the new Premier League season.
Leicester currently sit 19th in the standings, and with no new signings this summer, selling Fofana to bring in Akanji could be needed to both refresh the squad and to give fans some hope about the season, which is currently on course for disaster should things not improve in the coming days.
Akanji signing for Leicester as Fofana replacement is smart business
Leicester’s lack of inactivity has been a real worry this summer, with the club in a position where they can only sign players should any leave, yet selling Fofana for £85m could open a torrent of new arrivals for the club, and Akanji could be a great replacement for the 21-year-old defender.
The Swiss star is in the prime of his career and has been a regular in the UEFA Champions League for Dortmund for the past few seasons, and with Leicester, Akanji would be a key replacement for a key player such as Fofana as well as one that could financially allow Rodgers to make other signings to improve the squad.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
