Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is said to be a huge fan of France international Wesley Fofana.
It is thought that Fofana is one of Maresca’s favourite players despite the central defender not being very reliable.
Fofana has struggled to stay fit this season, making just 14 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea.
| Wesley Fofana’s 2024/25 stats | Total |
| Appearances | 14 |
| Starts | 14 |
| Minutes | 1,176 |
Considering that and Chelsea’s interest in several other centre-halves, Fofana could soon find himself in trouble, regardless of whether Maresca likes him or not.
Jarrad Branthwaite could replace Wesley Fofana
One central defender who has caught Chelsea’s attention is Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite. It has been reported that Chelsea have already made a move for Branthwaite in a worrying development for Fofana.
Branthwaite, who has been described as “pretty special” by Jamie Carragher, could replace Fofana in the Chelsea team, with the Blues unlikely to sign the 22-year-old to be a bench player.
In the past, Everton have valued Branthwaite at £80m. Chelsea are not going to pay anything close to that for someone who will not be a starter.
The fact that they are showing interest in him when they already have Fofana, Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah and Benoit Badiashile suggests a defender or two could be in trouble.
And after all of his injury problems, it would not be a surprise if the ex-Leicester City man was one of them. At this point, some at the club must be starting to lose trust in him.
While he has also been linked to Manchester United, Chelsea could sign Branthwaite ahead of their Premier League rivals after qualifying for the Champions League.
Marseille could be a potential destination for Wesley Fofana
Fofana could have actually left Chelsea in 2024. Marseille were interested in him, and the Frenchman revealed that he thought about a move.
When Fofana discussed Marseille’s interest, he said: “I had a conversation that really touched me. I would be lying if I said I didn’t weigh it up. It was from [Medhi] Benatia, Marseille’s sporting director.”
With that in mind, perhaps the Ligue 1 club will come back in for the former Saint-Etienne player if Chelsea make him available. And if the Blues do go on to sign Branthwaite, that could become a possibility.
