Chelsea's LAST CHANCE: Blues eyeing £60 MILLION move for Bundesliga defender
The Stamford Bridge side are struggling to replace Antonio Rudiger and they have one last opportunity
It has been one of the stories of the summer: Chelsea can't sign a centreback no matter how hard they try. After losing the likes of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger, the Blues need help at the back, but they've missed the mark on several targets like Jules Kounde and Matthjis de Ligt, and options are running thin. Their latest target? Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen.
Edmond Tapsoba is Chelsea's last card in the market for a centreback
A few weeks back it looked like a saviour had come in the shape of Leicester City's Wesley Fofana. However, the Foxes have been asking for a literal record fee for the 21 year old Frenchman, looking to get over £80 million to have him join Stamford Bridge. With Chelsea's offers, coming at around £70 million, rejected over and over, they now going after the Bayer Leverkusen centreback.
According to Sky Sports in Germany, the Blues allegedly made initial inquiries about Tapsoba but no actual discussions have taken place. With four more years remaining on his deal with the Bundesliga team, Tapsoba's services might cost £60 million.
The international from Burkina Faso joined Bayer Leverkusen in 2020 from Portuguese team Vitoria. He played in 29 games last season and has since established himself as a regular first-team player. Known for his game-reading abilites and strong tackling, the 23 year old is also a bit foul-prone, which could be a problem in the Premier League.
However, not all is done with Fofana. The Frenchman described his transfer to Stamford Bridge as a "dream", and he has been left out the last two Leicester matchday squads. Furthermore, the 21-year-old was made to train with the Under-23s since he skipped practise in an effort to expedite the transfer.
"In terms of Wesley, just a young player who is not quite in the right frame of mind at the moment to play", explained Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers. "A lot going on behind the scenes, which I understand. It's a difficult moment for him. He's a good kid, he's been great for us whilst he's been here and at this moment it's a difficult one for him. You can't afford that, certainly playing a Premier League game if you're not 100 per cent fully focused".
Wesley Fofana has been trying to force his dream move
With less than a week to the deadline day of September 1, Chelsea will have to decided whether to push for Wesley Fofana and try to reach a compromise with Leicester City, or go for their alternative with Edmond Tapsoba.
Continue reading: He was set to leave and the deal collapsed: HUGE BLOW for Xavi and Barça
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