Chelsea’s big-money gamble on Wesley Fofana isn’t paying off after £70million defender’s market value took a colossal hit. The 23-year-old, who joined from Leicester at the start of the Todd Boehly era in 2022, has barely kicked a ball for the Blues after suffering a series of devastating injuries.
He missed the entirety of the 2023/24 season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament and managed just 20 appearances for the club the season before that. His lengthy stints on the sidelines have seen his valuation nosedive, which is bad news for Chelsea if they ever decide to sell the Frenchman.
According to market analysis from Transfermarkt, Fofana’s value now sits at £21.5m, roughly a third of the figure Chelsea paid for him just two years ago. 12 months ago, he was valued at around £55m, meaning that in the space of a year his valuation has dropped by more than 50%.
After Fofana was ruled out for the season in 2023, Chelsea’s manager at the time, Mauricio Pochettino, admitted he was devastated, both for the player and for himself. “Really sad, really bad news,” the Argentine, who left the club by mutual decision in May, lamented.
“We feel so sad. All we can do is to help him. We wish him all the best and hope it’s as soon as possible [that he can] be with the team again this season.”
Fofana seems to have earned himself a place in new manager Enzo Maresca’s plans and has featured regularly during pre-season. He started his first match for over a year in July, though couldn’t prevent Chelsea from being beaten 4-1 by Celtic.
Post-match, Maresca emphasised the importance of match fitness for his players: “At this moment, it is very important for them to get minutes and not lose any training sessions,” the Italian stated.
Chelsea have been plagued by injuries for three successive seasons, and suffered 43 of them last season, second only to Manchester United in the Premier League. Maresca admitted he was happy to see Fofana back to full fitness, and said the same about Romeo Lavia, whose 2023/24 campaign was also ruined by injury issues.
“I am especially happy for them because, for one year without any minutes, it is difficult for them mentally, so they need to now boost their energy, and 45 minutes will help both of them,” he said. “Hopefully, we can soon have them both 100 per cent fit, and they can start to play 90 minutes.”
Despite bringing in centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham, Fofana seems to be central to Maresca’s plans. And if he stays fit, the Blues might finally start to get some value for money out of him.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk