Chelsea have signed midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester (Image: Getty)
New Chelsea star Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall insists he has a ‘great relationship’ with Wesley Fofana from their time at Leicester. The Blues have completed the signing of Dewsbury-Hall in a £30million deal.
The midfielder played alongside Chelsea defender Fofana at his previous club. They made 14 appearances alongside each other in the Leicester team.
Dewsbury-Hall says he also shared a relationship with Fofana away from the pitch. He is keen to reunite with the Frenchman at Stamford Bridge after exchanging messages in the lead up to his move.
“Wesley sent me a message the other day. We got on really well [at Leicester] and had a great partnership on the pitch and it will be lovely to play with him again,” the 25-year-old told Chelsea’s official channels.
“He’s said really nice things about Chelsea. I’m looking forward to getting back on the pitch with him because he’s a top player.”
Injuries have limited Fofana’s impact since his £70m transfer from Leicester in 2022. The 23-year-old missed the entirety of last season with a cruciate ligament injury and has made only 20 appearances for Chelsea in two years.
Former Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino believed Fofana would be fit for the club’s pre-season tour of the USA. Pochettino has since been replaced by Enzo Maresca, who will hope to have the former Saint Etienne player fit for next season.
“We hope so, yes,” said Pochettino when asked if Fofana would be fit for pre-season. “He is doing well, very positive, we were talking yesterday and hope he can be available to be part of the group. He is still not part of group training.”
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall played alongside new Chelsea team-mate Wesley Fofana at Leicester (Image: Getty)
Dewsbury-Hall became Chelsea’s fourth signing of the summer transfer window. He initially seemed set to join Brighton before the Blues made their interest clear.
Chelsea have also signed young forwards Omari Kellyman and Marc Guiu from Aston Villa and Barcelona, respectively. Defender Tosin Adarabioyo has signed on a free transfer following his decision to leave Fulham at the end of his contract.
Maresca will run the rule over his new players over the coming weeks. He worked with Dewsbury-Hall at Leicester last season, with the midfielder key to the Foxes’ Championship-winning campaign.
Dewsbury-Hall scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists in the second tier. He will hope to replicate that form in West London next season.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1918118/chelsea-kiernan-dewsbury-hall-wesley-fofana