Leicester made their first significant acquisition of the summer on Thursday, signing Wout Faes from Ligue 1 club Reims, just hours before the transfer market closed, to rapidly replace Chelsea-bound defender Wesley Fofana.
The five-year deal was signed by the 24-year-old Belgian international for an undisclosed sum, which will be considerably less than the rumoured £70 million Chelsea paid for Fofana on Wednesday. Faes has joined fellow former member of the Anderlecht youth academy Youri Tielemans at the organisation.
“It’s an amazing feeling (to be here); it’s not sunk in yet,” Faes told LCFC TV. “This is the dream step in my career and I’m very happy to be here.
“I’m progressing year after year, and I hope to continue doing the same here. All the facilities and knowledge is here to help me to get even better.
“I will have to work hard, but I will give 100 per cent to help the team.” Faes has been at Reims since signing from Belgian side Oostende in January 2020. He made 75 appearances for the French outfit in all competitions, scoring five goals.
He was voted the club’s player of the season at the end of the last campaign. He made his international debut in Belgium’s 6-1 Nations League victory over Poland in June, appearing alongside Tielemans and another Leicester team-mate Timothy Castagne.