Wesley Fofana (front) has established himself as a key member for St. Etienne(Getty Images)
According to L’Equipe (h/t Leicestershire Live), Leicester City are interested in Saint-Etienne young defender Wesley Fofana.
The 19-year-old centre-back has had a breakthrough campaign this season, making 23 appearances and keeping five clean sheets across all competitions for the Ligue 1 side.
He has also played a key role for Saint-Etienne with his rock-solid displays at the back. He helped them reach the final of the Coupe de France tournament. With Fofana proving his potential and swiftly rising through the ranks under Claude Puel, Saint-Etienne have now decided to tie him down at the club until 2024.
With young Fofana’s on-field displays clearly improving with time, Premier League side Leicester City have now shown an interest in him. Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City have enjoyed a successful spell in the league so far, with the club lying an impressive third in the table.
One of the main reasons for the Foxes’ dominant display in the league this term has been their excellent defence that has conceded just 28 goals from 29 league outings. Rodgers owes it all to Leicester’s backline, who have set the third-best defensive record in the league behind leaders Liverpool (21) and newcomers Sheffield United (25).
For Leicester, centre-backs Jonny Evans and Caglar Soyuncu have formed a formidable partnership in the heart of their defence. However, Evans turned 32 in January, and Leicester lack depth in their back-line. They just have veteran skipper Wes Morgan and on-loan defender Ryan Bennett as a backup.
Morgan is already 36 now while Bennett is expected to return to his parent club Wolves at the end of this summer. Hence, Leicester are in need of defensive reinforcements ahead of the new season.
That said, Leicester City’s interest in young centre-back Fofana makes complete sense. Moreover, he is still in his teens and could be an excellent future replacement for main-man Evans if he develops into a top centre-half.
Despite Leicester having a solid backline involving Evans and Soyuncu, they lack depth in that role, which, in turn, could affect the side in the future. Thus, roping in a young defender like Fofana will only make them stronger. Also, he is still very young and could improve further under a coach like Rodgers. Hence, they should make a move for the French youngster as soon as possible.
