Leicester City have been dealt a major boost in what has been a disappointing season to date, as it has emerged that star youngster Wesley Fofana has signed a new deal with the club.
Fofana impressed during his first season with the Foxes, helping them to a fifth placed finish in the Premier League and their first ever FA Cup. A series of strong performances earned him links to the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid over the summer,
However, the French youngster sustained a severe injury in a pre-season friendly with Villareal, which means that he is yet to appear for Brendan Rodgers’ side this season. They have suffered as a result, with Caglar Soyuncu and Yannick Vestergaard looking far from assured without the Frenchman’s presence.
Now, to protect his value as much as anything, Leicester have handed Fofana a further two-year contract extension, meaning that his deal will now run until 2027 with the midlands outfit.
#Fofana2027 ? ? pic.twitter.com/au2MxRKmy4
— Leicester City (@LCFC) March 7, 2022
Conference League return pending
Better still, Foxes fans are close to seeing Fofana back on the pitch, as it has been suggested that he will be ready to play some part in their Europa Conference League tie against Rennes, which kicks off on Thursday.
This also means that he could make his Premier League return 3 days later, as Leicester travel to London to take on high-flying Arsenal, although whether he will be able to play 2 games in four days is another matter.
Brendan Rodgers explained to the media ahead of the game just how important Fofana was for his system, comparing him having the influence of Virgil Van Dijk at Liverpool.
‘It was just a massive loss for us when he got injured, because of the way I play’, he claimed. ‘The other guys have filled in manfully and done the best they can, but you’ve seen with the likes of Liverpool when they are missing Van Dijk and Joel Matip.’
‘When you’re missing Jamie Vardy and two centre-halves like Jonny [Evans] and Wesley, with all due respect to a club or team like us, that’s a big difference.’
Rodgers will be hoping Fofana’s return can make an equally big difference.
