Chelsea look to Manchester United defender after Fofana injury

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana will miss the start of the upcoming season after undergoing surgery to reconstruct his anterior cruciate ligament. 

The Frenchman joined the Blues from Leicester City last summer and impressed last season, but the club announced on Tuesday that the player had suffered a rupture to his ACL.

With that in mind, it appears that the West London outfit are now considering a shock move for a Manchester United defender.

According to 90min, the Blues are plotting a move for United centre-back Harry Maguire as a replacement for the injured Fofana.

The report claims that Chelsea have already made enquiries about the Englishman’s availability with a view to potentially making a move to sign him.

Maguire joined the Red Devils back in 2019 and was a regular during his first three seasons with the club, however he struggled for game time last term.

Maguire is reportedly a surprise target for Chelsea this summer

The England international made just 31 appearances across all competitions last season and started just eight Premier League games, with manager Erik ten Hag selecting the likes of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez ahead of Maguire.

Victor Lindelof was also used ahead of the former Foxes man, while left-back Luke Shaw was used as a makeshift central defender on more than one occasion.

Maguire is currently contracted to United until the summer of 2025, but he was recently stripped of the club captaincy by Ten Hag following his drop down the pecking order.

The Dutchman is also said to have told the player that the club are intent on selling him this summer, casting huge doubts over his future at Old Trafford.

Chelsea’s scouts have identified Maguire as one of the best options available on the market and the club could therefore make an offer to sign the player, the report claims.