Fresh Chelsea recruit Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall affirms a strong bond with Wesley Fofana from their Leicester days, with the Blues sealing his transfer for a reported £30 million. The duo, who shared the pitch for Leicester on 14 occasions, also nurtured a camaraderie off the field. Dewsbury-Hall eagerly anticipates reuniting with Fofana at Stamford Bridge, spurred by supportive messages exchanged prior to his switch.

“Wesley dropped me a message recently. Our chemistry at Leicester was fantastic, and teaming up with him again will be delightful,” the 25-year-old expressed on Chelsea’s official platforms. He praised Fofana’s positive remarks about Chelsea, looking forward to their pitch partnership given Fofana’s stellar skills.

Fofana, since his hefty £70 million move in 2022, has grappled with injuries, sidelining him for the entirety of the previous season due to a cruciate ligament injury. His Chelsea appearances have been scant, culminating in just 20 matches over two seasons.

Amid speculations around Fofana’s fitness for Chelsea’s USA tour, erstwhile manager Mauricio Pochettino anticipated his comeback but has now been succeeded by Enzo Maresca, eyeing a fit Fofana for the forthcoming season.

Dewsbury-Hall emerged as Chelsea’s fourth summer acquisition. Initially linked to Brighton, the midfielder’s pivot to Chelsea was spurred by their keen interest. The Blues have also secured youthful talents in Omari Kellyman and Marc Guiu from Aston Villa and Barcelona, respectively, while defender Tosin Adarabioyo joined on a free transfer post his Fulham exit.

Maresca is set to assess the new signings in the upcoming weeks. His collaboration with Dewsbury-Hall at Leicester in their Championship-winning campaign underscores the midfielder’s pivotal role, having netted 12 goals and provided 14 assists in that successful season. Anticipations are high that Dewsbury-Hall will replicate his stellar form in Chelsea’s West London roster for the upcoming season.