Wesley Fofana’s protracted transfer saga is over after he officially became a Chelsea player in a £70million deal.
Fofana has agreed a seven-year deal with the west London outfit with Thomas Tuchel finally landing his defensive target.
After completing his move, Fofana described his move to Stamford Bridge as a ‘dream’ and that he is raring to get going alongside his new team-mates.
He told the club’s official website: ‘The two last days have been really big days for me and I’m very happy.
‘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.
‘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.’
Fofana has revealed that wing-back Reece James tried his best to move the deal along last month on Instagram.
‘Reece James messaged me on Instagram one month ago: “You come and play with me at right-back?” I like this, it’s good for my confidence. He’s my guy now,’ Fofana said.
‘I am a very big fan of [Didier] Drogba. I watch every game and I remember the UEFA Champions final.’
He added that he ‘loves the personality’ of N’Golo Kante and he cannot wait to get to work with the ‘nice guy’ in midfield.
The centre-back’s future had been a source of contention for weeks after the Blues interest became clear in the former Leicester City star.
The 21-year-old’s switch to Stamford Bridge has taken some time to negotiate, with Leicester rejecting multiple offers in recent weeks.
Fofana posted a throwback picture of him as a child in a Chelsea shirtNow he will turn out for the Blues after a £70m move
Fofana posted a throwback picture of him as a child in a Chelsea shirt (left) with the caption ‘started from the bottom’ and now he has risen to the top following a £70m transfer (right)
However, the Foxes finally accepted a fee in the region of £70m on Friday with the deal completed on the penultimate day of the summer transfer window, which shuts on Thursday.
He could make his debut at the weekend when Chelsea host bitter rivals West Ham in the Premier League.
In his open letter to Leicester fans, Fofana thanked them for helping him grow from a player to a man – but he couldn’t resist a shot at boss Brendan Rodgers, who questioned his conduct amid Chelsea’s interest. .
‘It’s time to say goodbye,’ he began.
‘During these two seasons here, I have probably experienced the most intense moments of my young football career. I have grown as a player but also as a man.
‘Thank you to you, Foxes fans, for your kindness and your constant support, even in the moments you were led to believe I didn’t respect the club. I will never forget how we vibrated, exulted or cried, together… I will never forget you.
‘I chose not to communicate during this transfer window despite all the criticism and all the often false and misleading comments, even when they were coming from the club. I understood and I learned. I didn’t want to damage the image of the institution and I chose to take it rather than answer.
‘I thank Top for his understanding, thanks to the managers, to the coach who has always appreciated me, even if he chose to expose me a lot lately… I got it coach.’
With his arrival, the France Under 21-international becomes Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel’s sixth summer signing after Gabriel Slonina, Carney Chukwuemeka, Kalidou Koulibaly, Raheem Sterling and Marc Cucurella.
Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly was delighted to add more depth in defence for the club, saying: ‘Wesley is a hugely promising defender who has already proven his quality in the Premier League at a young age.
‘We are delighted we were able to bring one of Europe’s most exciting talents to Chelsea and further strengthen that area of our squad, both for this season and many more to come.’
