Chelsea, who broke their club record transfer fee for a defender earlier this summer, has broken that record again.
The Blues have signed defender Wesley Fofana from Leicester City in a deal worth a reported £75 million. That expenditure comes just weeks after Chelsea had signed Marc Cucurella in a deal that could be worth £63 million if the various add-ons all come into play.
“I trained this morning with the team and it’s a dream for me. I’m very excited to start playing games for the fans and the club,” Fofana told the Chelsea team site. “I’m here to win trophies: the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, everything. I came here to win and the club is built to win trophies so I’m here to continue that.”
At just 21, Fofana already has 37 Premier League starts, and would have a higher number if not for missing most of last season after a gruesome preseason injury just over a year ago left him with a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle.
He’ll be expected to become first-choice for Thomas Tuchel alongside Kalidou Koulibaly—another pricey summer acquisition for Chelsea—and the ageless Thiago Silva, which would allow Reece James to move back out to the right flank. With Tuchel toggling between a back three and back four (he used the latter in a 2-1 loss to Southampton on Tuesday), Fofana will have plenty of competition for playing time.
The move takes Chelsea back to the top of the Premier League spending charts this summer. Data from Transfermarkt says that the new ownership group led by Todd Boehly has spent $296 million since taking over, bringing in 18 players in the process. That puts them around $33 million clear of Manchester United, who have been spending wildly without necessarily seeming to know why.
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