Chelsea have identified Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba as an alternative to top target Wesley Fofana should they not be able to land the Frenchman before the transfer deadline, after the Blues had a third bid for the defender knocked back by Leicester City.
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Thomas Tuchel has been on the hunt for new defenders for much of the summer, and despite adding Kalidou Koulibaly to his ranks, he remains one centre-back lighter than he ended last season.
So far, deals for Presnel Kimpembe, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol and Matthijs de Ligt have all fallen through, and now Chelsea have seen yet another bid for new top target Fofana sent back by the Foxes.
The Blues are reluctant to go beyond £70m, while Leicester City are holding out for a world record fee for their defender, eclipsing the £80m that they sold Harry Maguire to Manchester United for.
Fofana, meanwhile, is keen to make the move. He watched on as his side fell to a 2-1 defeat over the weekend, with Rodgers claiming that he was not in the right frame of mind to play. He is also “training with the U23s training with the U23s after failing to turn up to a training session last week”, the Irishman revealed.
Tapsoba an alternative
As per Sky Germany, Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba could well be an alternative, with reports claiming that ‘he was discussed internally in the case that the transfer with Fofana would fail’.
Though he is under contract until 2026, he will likely cost less than the Frenchman. It seems as though matters will come to a head in the coming days before Chelsea and Leicester City meet, with the Foxes needing to find a replacement should they sell and the transfer window closing in 8 days time.
