Leicester City have reached an agreement with Chelsea for the transfer of Wesley Fofana, on a seven year £75m deal.
Wesley, 21, moves to west London after two seasons with the Foxes, having joined the club from French side Saint Etienne in 2020.
He has since made 52 appearances for the Club, including 37 in the Premier League and 11 across two European campaigns.
“He departs as an FA Cup winner, having helped City lift the trophy for the first time in 2021, and with a reputation as one of the world’s most promising young defenders firmly established,” said a spokesman for Leicester City Football Club (LCFC).
On completing his signing, Fofana expressed his delight and ambitions for the future.
“The two last days have been really big days for me and I’m very happy. I trained this morning with the team and it’s a dream for me. I’m very excited to start playing games for the fans and the club,” he said.
“I’m here to win trophies – the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, everything. I came here to win and the club is built to win trophies so I’m here to continue that.”
In an emotional Instagram post, he thanked Foxes fans, staff, coaches and teammates at LCFC.
“During these two seasons here, I have probably experienced the most intense moments of my young football career. I have grown as a player but also as a man,” he said.
“Thanks to you Foxes fan, for your kindness and your constant support, even in the moments you were led to believe I didn’t respect the club.
“Thanks to the staff for their trust, their advice and of course, their support during my injury and my recovery period. There were ups and downs but I never cheated, you can be sure of that.
“Thank you to all the people who work here everyday, you are the soul of the club!
“Finally, thanks to my teammates, my brothers, the Foxes soldiers. We’ll meet again, on a football field or somewhere else.”
Chelsea had made three previous bids for Fofana which were all swiftly rejected by Leicester – two in excess of £60m and one believed to be £60m plus £10m in add-ons.
Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly expressed his delight at finally securing the young talent.
“Wesley is a hugely promising defender who has already proven his quality in the Premier League at a young age,” he said. “We are delighted we were able to bring one of Europe’s most exciting talents to Chelsea and further strengthen that area of our squad, both for this season and many more to come.”
