Chelsea ‘turn’ to another Premier League defender amid Wesley Fofana transfer frustration

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Chelsea could reportedly turn to Brighton centre-back Adam Webster if they can’t prise Wesley Fofana away from Leicester this summer. The Blues have had three bids for Fofana rejected, with the Foxes said to be demanding over £80million to sanction a move for the defender.

Chelsea were hit by the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen at the end of last season and have been severely weakened at the heart of their backline, despite signing Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli last month. On Sunday, the west Londoners shipped three goals without reply against Leeds as Koulibaly was sent off towards the end of the encounter.

Thomas Tuchel will be well aware that his defence will need to improve quickly if Chelsea are to fight for Premier League silverware this season. And Fofana has been their priority transfer. But Leicester are playing hardball and Tuchel knows he needs a backup plan in case he can’t land the Frenchman.

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea have made enquiries about the availability of other defenders -and Webster is on their list of potential alternatives. The 27-year-old has excelled in the Premier League since leaving Championship side Bristol City to move to the American Express Community Stadium for a then club-record £20m in 2019.

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He has been a regular for the ever-improving Seagulls over the last three years and produced an imperious display against Chelsea in January as he bagged an equaliser and captained his team to a 1-1 draw on the south coast. And his performances have brought him to the attentions of Tuchel as well as England manager Gareth Southgate.

But the west Londoners could face competition for the defender as Wolves are also monitoring him, according to FootballTransfers. Brighton are adamant, however, that they will not sell the former England under-19s international before the summer transfer window closes next Thursday.

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The Blues have also looked at Harry Maguire to fix their defensive issues. And they could yet attempt to thrash out a deal for the England international after Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag dropped him for his side’s clash with Liverpool on Monday night. And with the Red Devils winning the game 2-1, Maguire may struggle to force his way back into the team.

Chelsea have endured an indifferent start to the new campaign and have only picked up four points from their opening three matches after shipping five goals in their last two games. And Tuchel will want to get his transfer business done and dusted as soon as he can.

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