Transfer News: Real Madrid set sights on Wesley Fofana

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly set his sights on Leicester City star Wesley Fofana to replace exit-bound defender Raphael Varane.

According to a report from Spanish publication Fichajes, Real Madrid are looking at Leicester City’s French defender Wesley Fofana as a potential transfer target this summer amid question marks over the future of star man Raphael Varane.

Real Madrid have already been dealt with a brutal blow with long-serving defender and club captain Sergio Ramos announcing his departure from the club. In the aftermath of this, the Merengues could also be set to lose another of their stalwarts as Varane, who is entering the final year of his contract, is believed to be seeking a new challenge in his career and has his sights on a transfer to Manchester United.

So, despite the free transfer signing of David Alaba, Real Madrid may well be forced into the transfer market for another central defender this summer. Sevilla’s Jules Kounde has emerged as a target for Los Blancos with a €50 million offer also made. But with the La Liga club holding out for his €80 million release clause amount, Real Madrid could be forced to look elsewhere.

And, as per the aforementioned report, Leicester City’s Wesley Fofana has emerged as a potential candidate to replace Varane at the Santiago Bernabeu this summer. A product of the Saint-Etienne youth setup, the 20-year-old made the switch to Leicester only last year but enjoyed quite an impactful debut campaign in England.

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Indeed, Fofana was a key part of Brendan Rodgers’ side that won the FA Cup and finished fifth in the Premier League, racking up 42 appearances across all competitions, in which he contributed with an assist as well. Despite his young age, the Frenchman displayed great maturity and confidence in his debut season with the Foxes, impressing with his physicality and defensive nous, while his ball-playing abilities came to the fore as well.

All these characteristics are said to have appealed to Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, who kept a close watch on the Leicester City ace last season while he was in charge of Everton. And now, as per the report, the Italian mastermind has recommended Fofana’s name to Los Blancos as a transfer target to replace Varane in case he ends up securing an exit.

Real Madrid are not the only club keen on Fofana, with Manchester United also having been credited with an interest in the 20-year-old in the recent past. However, a move for him is likely to be difficult to pull off for the Merengues as he still has four years left on his current contract with Leicester. It remains to be seen if the Spanish bigwigs decide to make a move for Fofana this summer or look at other options to replace Varane.