Leicester City star Wout Faes reportedly rejected a move to Chelsea, even though the Blues peppered him with gifts and a lucrative contract offer. Faes turned down the approach from Chelsea, instead putting pen to paper on a move to Leicester.
While the Foxes might’ve been relegated at the end of the 2022/23 season, they did at least take the talented Faes down with them. Arriving from French side Reims for £15million, the centre-back was touted as one of the most promising defenders in Europe at the time – something reflected by Chelsea’s interest in the Belgian.
It’s claimed that the west Londoners tried to sign Faes when he was a teenager in the Anderlecht academy. What’s more, in an attempt to pry him away from the Belgian outfit, Chelsea sent Faes a shirt signed by then-Blues star David Luiz.
Speaking to The Telegraph last season, Faes said: “Maybe if I had gone there I would have got more money but that was not important. I wanted to have the best education and I knew at Anderlecht they were really counting on me and saw me as a future talent.
“It was more important to stay there and progress there. I never thought: ‘I should have gone to Chelsea.’ I have no regrets.”
Faes might’ve been ruing that decision at the end of his first season in England after Leicester dropped into the second tier of English football. However, having decided to stick with the club in the summer, the 26-year-old played a key part in guiding the Midlands outfit back to the Premier League as champions.
Featuring in all but three of Leicester’s 46 Championship fixtures, the dynamic defender caught the eye with his impressive passing range and stellar dribbling ability – a trait unique to a centre-back with Faes’ build. But while the 6ft 1in star may have endeared himself to the Foxes faithful, Leicester could face a battle to keep him at the club during the summer transfer window.
It was reported in January that the David Luiz lookalike was a target for Serie A outfit Atalanta – a move which failed to materialise. However, should a side competing in Europe next season come knocking, Faes could, this time around, find the opportunity too good to turn down.
