Brendan Rodgers and Kolo Toure are in regular discussions with Wesley Fofana as Leicester City look to tie up a deal for the St Etienne centre-back, according to Foot Mercato.
If the Foxes were hoping that missing out on Champions League football would result in an expensive summer outlay, the reality has been something very different.
Despite being linked with a whole host of big-name targets, Belgian full-back Timothy Castagne is the only new face in Rodgers’ squad. Although Roma winger Cengiz Under is expected to arrive sooner rather than later on an initial loan deal (Guardian).
With just three weeks remaining, Leicester are running out of time if they want to reinforce a defence which, while high on quality, is lacking in the quantity department.
The fact that Wilfried Ndidi was forced to fill in during Sunday’s 3-0 win at West Brom, in the injury-enforced absence of Jonny Evans, speaks volumes about the lack of cover at the King Power Stadium.
Fofana remains Leicester’s top target but St Etienne boss Claude Puel, a familiar face in this part of the Midlands, has made it clear that the 20-year-old remains a key part of his plans across the Channel.
So while Rodgers and assistant coach Kolo Toure are doing their very best behind the scenes, staying in regular contact with the Foxes’ number one option, there is still plenty of work to be done if Fofana is to join his former centre-back partner William Saliba in the Premier League.
The Mail reports that Leicester are willing to pay £18 million for a man Puel believes has ‘enormous potential’ – well short of his £27 million price-tag.
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