Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers has reiterated that Wesley Fofana is "not for sale" amid the ongoing speculation linking him with a switch to Chelsea.
The Foxes are believed to have turned down two separate offers from the Blues for the centre-back, with the latest thought to be worth in the region of £60m.
Chelsea are seemingly determined to sign the Frenchman before the transfer window closes for business, but Rodgers has insisted that Thomas Tuchel's side are wasting their time.
"I don't think so far ahead," Rodgers told reporters on Thursday when asked whether he thought the defender would remain at the club beyond the transfer deadline.
"The idea is that he is very much a Leicester player. He's not for sale. Unless anything changes, I would expect him to be here. There's nothing new from when we last spoke. We've spoken numerous times they are private conversations. Our communication is normal.
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"There's no denying it. It's always a tricky period. Your season is starting, you're trying to get focused, and you spend your summer creating this powerful collective unit, and then there is lots of speculation.
"These are young guys and it's the first time they have experienced this for some of them. There can be disruption. The idea is to keep the group focused. The minute the window ends, it all ends."
Earlier this month, Rodgers confirmed that the club had received two offers for the 21-year-old this summer, but the bids were "nowhere near" his value.
"There was two, but nowhere near what the club would consider. We're not looking to sell. Naturally if there's interest from other clubs, that is looked at by the club. He's a top young defender and there are not too many around his age," he told reporters.
"Another year for him at least would be really important for his development. Wesley is quite calm on the situation. He is aware of the interest. He's just getting on with his work."
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Fofana is believed to have made it clear to Leicester that he wants to be allowed to move to Stamford Bridge before the end of the transfer window, with personal terms already allegedly being agreed.
The centre-back made the move to the King Power Stadium from Saint-Etienne in 2020, and he has made 52 appearances for the Foxes in all competitions.
Fofana was restricted to just seven Premier League appearances last season due to a broken leg that he suffered during a friendly with Villarreal in August 2021, with the defender returning to action in March.
The France Under-21 international, who only signed a new long-term deal at Leicester earlier this year, has played the full 90 minutes in both of his side's Premier League matches this season against Brentford and Arsenal.
