Chelsea and Leicester £10m apart on Wesley Fofana valuation

The Stamford Bridge hierarchy are also working on deals for Frenkie de Jong and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Chelsea are currently £10m short of Leicester City's valuation for Wesley Fofana, as the London club prepare another bid that could spark their busiest period of the window. The Stamford Bridge hierarchy are also working on deals for Frenkie de Jong and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

While Leicester's public stance is that neither Fofana nor James Maddison are for sale, sources close to the situation insist the club's financial circumstances - which has seen the Thai owners' duty free-based business suffer through two years of the pandemic - means one will likely have to go, albeit at high prices.

The feeling within the market is that Fofana is gettable for £80m and Maddison for £60m. Newcastle United remain someway short of the latter price, and Leicester would be more keen to keep the playmaker.

• Transfer news LIVE: Werner set for Chelsea exit as Man Utd target Rabiot and Arnautovic

Tuchel is insisting on another bid for Fofana, who has made his desire to go to Stamford Bridge clear.

Chelsea are meanwhile in ongoing talks with De Jong, who is seen as more likely to go to London than Manchester United, if he actually leaves Barcelona.

While there had been murmurs last week that United had ended their interest, that is being denied, and there is still some hope a deal can be done. As it is, though, Chelsea's London location and qualification for the Champions League is more attractive.

Both United and Chelsea have meanwhile been offered Aubameyang. While the Old Trafford hierarchy is cooler, Tuchel is open to the possibility of working with his former Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal striker, as Chelsea still need a finisher.