Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is a "big fan" of Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana and spoke to him last season, according to journalist Simon Phillips.
The 21-year-old is thought to be a key target for the west London club right now, though getting him out of the King Power Stadium does not look like an easy task.
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What is the latest news involving Fofana?
The Guardian recently reported that Leicester value Fofana at £85m and are insisting that he is not for sale.
However, as per the same outlet, Chelsea want to test that stance as they look to bring in more defensive reinforcements this summer.
The Blues have already signed Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli for £33m and are set to bring Brighton's Marc Cucurella to Stamford Bridge.
Having lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, though, it is clear that Thomas Tuchel could do with the arrival of at least one more central defender.
What has Phillips said about Fofana and Chelsea?
Phillips has told GIVEMESPORT that Tuchel is a huge admirer of Fofana and has spoken to him before.
Speaking to GMS, the journalist said: "I do know that Tuchel is a big fan of Fofana. He spoke to him, I think, at the end of one of the games that Chelsea played against Leicester last season. Obviously, I don't know what was said, but I do know that Tuchel has always been a big fan of Fofana.
"In terms of priorities, Josko Gvardiol is just ahead of Fofana in terms of what Tuchel would choose if he had the choice of both of them. But yeah, I mean, Fofana is high up on the list as well."
Should Chelsea spend £85m on Fofana?
You would not blame them if they did. As already mentioned, the Blues need defensive reinforcements, while they have already missed out on a host of other targets.
Matthijs de Ligt and Jules Kounde, two centre-backs Chelsea were both interested in, have gone on to join Bayern Munich and Barcelona respectively, while Nathan Ake opted to remain at Manchester City despite his former club pursuing him.
Ultimately, Tuchel is running out of options, but Fofana remains a very good one. Last season, no Chelsea player won more aerial duels per league game than the Frenchman, who recorded an average of three (via WhoScored), and at just 21 years of age, you would expect him to become an even better defender overall in the future.
It is a lot of money to pay, but Tuchel quite clearly wants more bodies at the back going into the new season.