Leicester City are planning one last bid for Wesley Fofana after West Ham United put a £36 million offer on the table, according to Le10 Sport.
The Foxes were already facing a difficult task in trying to convince one of Ligue 1’s biggest clubs to cash in on the second half of their teenage central-defensive partnership.
L’Equipe reports Leicester made a third bid worth £30 million for 19-year-old Fofana in an attempt to convince St Etienne to let William Saliba’s former teammate make the move across the Channel before the 5 October transfer deadline.
But with ex-King Power boss Claude Puel making it clear he’s desperate to keep hold of a Frenchman with “enormous potential”, Leicester have their work cut out.
Especially as St Etienne president Bernard Caiazzo has promised to back his manager.
“No (we will not sell), because Claude Puel is very firm on the subject,” he told Sport.
Caiazzo could still have his arm twisted, however, with West Ham making a bid of their own, which would reach a staggering £36 million with various add-ons (The Standard).
Leicester are now considering what would be a fourth and final offer of their own – and you would imagine they would have to match West Ham’s £36 million bid to stay in the race.
The 2016 Premier League champions have been forced to use Wilfried Ndidi in an unfamiliar centre-half role due to Jonny Evans’ suspension. And, with the Nigerian expected to miss three months through injury, Brendan Rodgers’ already stretched squad is looking even more thin.
Speaking to L’Equipe recently, Fofana admitted he would be “crazy” to reject an offer from a Leicester side that turned Riyad Mahrez, N’Golo Kante and Jamie Vardy into stars.
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