Leicester City have made St Etienne teenager Wesley Fofana their top defensive target ahead of James Tarkowski and Kristoffer Ajer, according to 90Min.
While the Foxes have £50 million burning a hole in their back pocket following the sale of Ben Chilwell to Chelsea, that does not mean the 2016 Premier League champions are willing victims of daylight robbery.
Leicester have been tracking Tarkowski ever since Harry Maguire was lured away by the bright lights of Old Trafford last summer.
But, with Burnley making it clear that the England international will not be going anywhere for a penny less than his £50 million release clause – as West Ham have discovered – the Midland giants are now scouring the market for more affordable options.
And it speaks volumes about Fofana’s potential that he has been installed as the ‘chosen one’ ahead of Kristoffer Ajer – a roving, marauding giant of a central defender who won the Scottish Premiership title under Brendan Rodgers in 2019.
After selling William Saliba to Arsenal, St Etienne are demanding a further £20 million for another 19-year-old powerhouse.
Hardly pocket change, of course, but that is £30 million less than Burnley want for Tarkowski.
Interestingly, Fofana made his breakthrough under former Leicester boss Claude Puel across the Channel, with the softly-spoken Frenchman describing him as a player with ‘enormous potential’.
Rodgers, Puel’s successor, has a superb track record when it comes to helping youngsters realise their potential – as James Maddison, Moussa Dembele, Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho would no doubt attest.
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