Wesley Fofana has publicly revealed his desire to join Leicester City, but Saint-Étienne manager Claude Puel is reluctant to let the defender leave the club in the ongoing window.
The Foxes recently tabled a third bid worth €32m, but the Ligue 1 side turned it down.
Friday’s edition of L’Equipe explains West Ham United have now joined the race for the centre-back.
It’s claimed the Hammers have responded to Leicester’s latest bid by tabling a €35m offer for the 19-year-old.
The Frenchman is a ‘priority’ target for Leicester because Brendan Rodgers ‘absolutely wants’ him right away at the King Power Stadium. Therefore, the Foxes are expected to match West Ham’s offer for the youngster.
The latest offer received by the French club could see them agree to a transfer and retain the player on loan for one more season, much like what happened between Saint-Étienne and Arsenal for William Saliba last summer.
However, a similar arrangement with Fofana isn’t possible because Puel vetoed his sale. The manager is determined to retain the defender, and the club’s board has backed his decision so far.
L’Equipe suggests Saint-Étienne chiefs Bernard Caïazzo and Roland Romeyer ‘would think twice before remaining aligned with Puel’s position’, if they receive an offer around €40m.
It’ll be interesting to see how things develop as we edge closer to the end of the transfer window on October 5th.
