After many weeks of nail biting tension, Chelsea eventually got their man and signed Wesley Fofana from Leicester City in a huge deal.
Estimated at around €85m, the move caused a lot of tension at the Foxes, with Brendan Rodgers forced to leave the centre-back out of some games due to the distraction caused by the Blues’ interest.
This was always seen as a dream transfer for Fofana, as Chelsea were desperate to bolster their backline after losing two of their regulars on free transfers earlier on in the transfer window.
Thomas Tuchel and Todd Boehly threw everything at Leicester, who eventually caved in, and Fofana, who underwent his medical in the United States, sat down with L’Equipe to talk about what happened behind the scenes.
About the fee, he said that he’s ‘trying not to think about it’, as that could lead to a lot of pressure very quickly, and he wants to make sure he gives his best on the pitch when he is picked by his new manager.
Regarding the delays caused by Leicester, who didn’t necessarily want to sell, Fofana explained ‘there were moments of doubts’, during which he was asking himself ‘a thousand questions’, including whether or not he was making the right choice.
He added: “But rather quickly, I told myself that I was going to realise one of my dreams: to play in one of the biggest clubs in the world. I chose with my family and my agents to 100% go there. They managed without any stress and explained the steps to me clearly, and even the not so nice moments where the club was going to shout at me a bit.”
As for why the medical took place in New York, it’s because Chelsea wanted the doctor of the Lakers to supervise the whole process, which lasted ‘more than 10 hours’, as they took extra care following his serious ankle injury.
Regarding the length of his Chelsea contract (seven years), he said: “I wanted to show my determination to the club. We also wanted to not receive money for my image rights, and my agents managed that perfectly, because I didn’t want to be bogged down by such stories.”
Fofana was then asked about Thomas Tuchel’s involvement in the process: “I came here also in great part for him. He’s a manager I appreciate, in his management, his style of play. There’s already a trust relationship with him. Chelsea’s system is quite similar to Leicester’s. They want to use me in a three at the back defence. I can play on the right or in the middle. I’ll adapt either way.”
