Chelsea must go and sign the perfect Wesley Fofana replacement after exit reports - opinion

Reports have linked one of Chelsea’s highest-paid players with an exit at the end of the season after another tough campaign.

It has been claimed that the Blues are open to the sale of Wesley Fofana this summer after another season that has been plagued by injuries.

Fofana has made just 14 appearances this season after not kicking a ball during Mauricio Pochettino’s spell in charge of the club.

Season	Wesley Fofana injury	Date from	Date to	Days missed	Games missed
24/25	Surgery	April 1, 2025	–	92 days	16
24/25	Hamstring injury	December 1, 2024	February 24, 2025	86 days	18
23/24	Cruciate ligament tear	July 17, 2023	June 30, 2024	350 days	51
22/23	Knee injury	Dec 20, 2022	February 13, 2023	56 days	9
22/23	Knee injury	Oct 6, 2022	Dec 16, 2022	72 days	17

News that the defender could leave the club would likely be a blow to the manager, with Enzo Maresca a noted fan of Fofana and the partnership he can form with Levi Colwill.

However, availability is the best ability, and if Chelsea do decide to part ways with the Frenchman, there will be pressure on getting the decision right over his replacement.

Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images

Chelsea should sign Marc Guehi to replace Wesley Fofana

There have been strong links over the signing of Dean Huijsen after his very achievable release clause became apparent, however his strengths lie in a similar place to Colwill’s.

Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images

If the Blues want to sign a player who will partner with him nicely, they should instead be looking at fellow Premier League star Marc Guehi, currently playing for Crystal Palace.

Chelsea retain a strong interest in the English defender, even considering offering Trevoh Chalobah in a swap deal after his succesful loan spell there earlier this season.

Guehi being right-footed would provide a nice compliment to Colwill, and the fact he is comfortable playing out from the back means he will suit the plan Maresca is looking to carry out.

Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images

The one reason Chelsea have to sign Guehi over Huijsen

The main strength the Palace man can offer the Blues that the likes of Huijsen cannot is the experience factor. The 24-year-old now has numerous seasons of Premier League football under his belt.

Chelsea are certainly lacking leaders in their squad, and signing the captain of a top-flight side is certainly a way of addressing that.

It seems the emphasis is being softened away from the owners on just signing players who can make an impact on the future of the club. The Blues were interested in Virgil van Dijk before he extended his stay at Liverpool.

There is no doubting Huijsen’s incredible ability at such a young age, however Chelsea need to look at the profile of player they will truly desire should they sell Fofana, with Guehi fitting the bill perfectly.

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