Chelsea are interested in signing Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana.
Fofana signed a two-year contract extension with Leicester in March. His deal runs until 2027.
Chelsea have signed Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli and have made attempts to bring in Manchester City’s Nathan Ake and Sevilla’s Jules Kounde following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, meanwhile, has admitted he is a “little bit” annoyed with Barcelona over their pursuit of Cesar Azpilicueta.
The 32-year-old has 12 months remaining on his Chelsea contract and has reportedly asked to leave the club after a decade at Stamford Bridge to return to his native Spain with Barcelona.
But Tuchel says he is not sure if he wants to give Azpilicueta “what he wants”, and believes Barca have undervalued the defender, comparing his value to that of recent Chelsea capture Kalidou Koulibaly, who signed for £33m from Napoli earlier this month.
When asked at the Universal Orlando Resort, if he has been annoyed by the Spanish giants’ pursuit of Azpilicueta, Tuchel replied: “Maybe a little bit.”
Asked about the Spaniard’s future, Tuchel said: “It’s a tough question because I am not sure if I want to give Azpi what he wants.
“At some point it is about what we want. I just made the comparison about how much we fought for Koulibaly, who is a national team player and roughly the same age.
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Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is hoping to play an important role for Thomas Tuchel’s side this season, after a successful loan spell at Crystal Palace
“He is a hugely important player for Napoli but we have a Spanish international who is the captain at Chelsea. I see him maybe at the same level but Barcelona don’t see him on that level. So I am not sure if I want to give him what he wants as he is a huge player.
“We don’t think so much about other clubs. The focus is on us and what we need. I said that to him and I say it to you that I understand on a personal and a career level. But I am not only in this role to give him what he wants. I am a manager for Chelsea who wants to do what’s best for Chelsea.
“He doesn’t like it but he understands. It is tough for him because the other club is permanently on him. On September 1 when things calm down, then he can play on his highest level.”
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