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| Wesley Fofana of Leicester City is put under pressure by Yoane Wissa of Brentford during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Brentford FC at The King Power Stadium on August 07, 2022 in Leicester, England. |
Brendan Rodgers is prepared to drop Chelsea target Wesley Fofana on Saturday if he decides
the defender is not in the right frame of mind to play for Leicester
against Southampton.
The Foxes boss
dropped a strong hint that the Blues’ two bids, both of which had been
rejected, had left Fofana unsettled.
The 21-year-old
wants to join Chelsea but Leicester insist he is not for sale, though an offer
in the region of £80million – the world-record fee Manchester United paid for Harry Maguire three years ago
– may give them a decision to make.
Asked whether he could leave out Fofana if he had doubts about his current mentality, Rodgers said: ‘Yes, 100 per cent. If the players aren’t totally focused and committed to the club and being here, or for whatever reason just aren’t in the right mindset, that won’t help us.
‘We have to ensure everyone is really focused in order for us to play the best game we can. Is he in the right frame of mind to start? I will always assess that after the sessions
‘We sit down as coaches with the analytical team, study the opponent make sure everything is there and then we’ll pick the best team to win the game.’
Fofana joined
Leicester only two years ago for about £31.5m from St Etienne but is regarded
as one of the top young centre-backs in the game and is keen to move to
Stamford Bridge.
He has played in
both Leicester’s opening fixtures this term, the 2-2 draw with Brentford on the
opening day of the campaign, and last weekend’s 4-2 defeat at Arsenal.
‘Mentally he is fine, but as you can imagine for a 21-year-old with the spotlight on you, talking about what you maybe can earn at another club and where you can play, it’s a challenge,’ said Rodgers.
‘That’s the honest answer. He’s been absolutely brilliant since his first day here. He’s been fantastic when he has played, the club stuck by him when he was injured.
‘It’s a challenge for any player, in particular young one, but he knows he’s loved here and this is an important step for his career, being here at Leicester and having more development.
‘But it’s natural when other clubs are interested in you because of your talent, and especially with the money that comes with that. It certainly makes you think that’s for sure.’
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