Chelsea are hoping to secure a deal for Wesley Fofana before the transfer window closes but have identified a backup option if Leicester City refuse to sell.
Thomas Tuchel remains eager to bolster his back-line before the deadline – which is just 10 days away – and Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Leeds will only have reinforced that view.
The west Londoners, who had Koulibaly sent off late on at Elland Road, have already had two offers for Fofana rejected by Leicester.
The Frenchman was left out of his team’s most recent game against Southampton due to the speculation surrounding him, with Rodgers feeling he was not in the right frame of mind.
Chelsea are now set to make a third bid for Fofana, though it is expected to be just shy of Leicester’s £85m asking price.
Rodgers and Fofana have spoken extensively and there is a feeling that the Foxes are increasingly open to letting him leave even if their mammoth asking price isn’t met in full.
Chelsea would still need to stump up around £80m, however, and Leicester would expect more of the fee to be paid up front.
There are still plenty of obstacles to overcome before Chelsea can strike a deal and the Daily Mail claim that they have lined up an alternative in case Fofana remains at Leicester.
The Blues have set their sights on another Brighton star – having already spent big on Marc Cucurella this summer – and have added Adam Webster to their list of possible backup options.
Webster has been impressive in the Premier League since joining the Seagulls in 2019 and is said to be in contention for a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
He impressed Chelsea up close last season when he gave a man-of-the-match display at the Amex in a 1-1 draw, netting his side’s equaliser.
While he may not be regarded as high as Fofana, Chelsea feel Webster could be a useful option if Leicester play hard-ball and his relationship with Cucurella would certainly help his integration into the team.
It is not clear how much Brighton would expect to receive for Webster, but they already have a replacement in the form of Chelsea centre-back Levi Colwill and he would not command a fee as high as Fofana.
Manchester United’s Harry Maguire – who was dropped by Erik ten Hag for Monday night’s 2-1 win over Liverpool – is another player Chelsea are considering.
