Wesley Fofana opens up on the pressure of his Chelsea price tag

​Wesley Fofana has admitted that injuries and the weight of his transfer fee have made his Chelsea career far more difficult than he expected since arriving from Leicester City in the summer of 2022 for just over 80 million euros.

The French defender was one of the Premier League’s most promising centre backs at Leicester, but repeated injury setbacks have limited him to only 60 appearances in three and a half seasons at Stamford Bridge.

Even when fit, Fofana’s minutes have been carefully managed, particularly under former coach Enzo Maresca. Reflecting on his struggles, he confessed: “I wanted to do too much. I wanted to justify the price too much, but now I’ve accepted it. I’ve gotten down to work, and that’s allowed me to get back in shape.”

He also spoke honestly about the mental side of recovering from long-term injuries. “It’s tough coming back from injury. You doubt everything. You tell yourself you’re not the same player anymore, that you’ve lost everything. Every mistake you make is remembered by the fans, but it’s part of the game.” Fofana added, underlining how expectations and criticism follow every performance.
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