‘Not quite right’ - Pundit has issue with Wesley Fofana stance amid Chelsea transfer links

Former Arsenal and England defender Matthew Upson believes Leicester City may have to sell defender Wesley Fofana to Chelsea.

The Blues have made three bids for the French centre-back, with Foxes manager Brendon Rodgers confirmed the latest offer had been rejected on Tuesday.

Speaking after his side’s Carabao Cup win at Stockport County, the former Liverpool boss said: “I got told earlier there’s another bid rejected by the club.

“That was about it really but obviously we are concentrating on the game.  There was an offer that came in earlier today but the club have rejected it.

“The director of football told me earlier.”

Chelsea’s third offer for the former Saint-Etienne star was believed to be worth around £70million, with a large percentage of that fee paid up front and a number of add-ons included.

However, Leicester’s stance of Fofana remains that only an offer in excess of the £80million they received from Manchester United for Harry Maguire would tempt them into allow the 21-year-old.

As it stands, the Foxes are the only Premier League that have not made an outfield signing this summer, with Cardiff City goalkeeper Alex Smithies their only addition after he made a free transfer move to the King Power Stadium last month.

Former England centre-back Upson believes Fofana may well have had his head turned by the interest from the Blues and that leaves Leicester in a difficult situation.

“I think Leicester are in a position where they are a bit of a selling club,” he told Sky Sports.

“In the past, you look at how the club has operated, with Fofana, maybe they would have said he’s not for sale and they’d hang on to those sort of players.

“Something is not quite right with the investment into the club, or how it has been.  They’ve invested heavily into the infrastructure of the club and they have built brilliant foundations for Leicester City Football Club.

“But right at this moment in time, he (Fofana) is a player in high demand, he is a high value player.

“What will be interesting with Leicester is whether or not they move these players on and how much of that is reinvested into the squad.

“That’s the key point with all of these transactions and whether or not you want to keep a player there that has had his head turned.”

Two Chelsea defenders are reportedly in talks over loan moves to Serie A clubs with Trevoh Chalobah discussing a temporary switch to Inter and Spezia have made an enquiry for Ethan Ampadu.