Wesley Fofana has completed his £70m move from Leicester to Chelsea and has aimed a goodbye dig at former boss Brendan Rodgers.
The defender has signed a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge, the Blues confirmed on Wednesday.
Fofana joins Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella as defensive reinforcements for boss Thomas Tuchel this summer.
It ends a transfer saga which Rodgers said had already helped derail his side’s Premier League season with the Foxes winless and bottom of the table after four games.
Fofana, who has recovered from a serious leg fracture he suffered in pre-season last year, had pushed to join Tuchel’s squad and failed to show up for training with the Foxes earlier this month.
But the 21-year-old defended himself and thanked Rodgers for his support, although he questioned some of the Foxes’ comments while there.
He wrote on Instagram: “During these two seasons here I have probably experienced the most intense moments of my young football career. I grew up as a player but also as a man.
“Thank you, Foxes fan(s), for your kindness and your constant support, even in times when you were led to believe that I did not respect the club. I will never forget how we vibrated, exulted or cried, together… I will never forget you.
“I have chosen not to communicate during this transfer window despite all the criticism and all the often false and misleading comments, even when they come from the club.
“I understood and I learned. I did not want to harm the image of the institution and I chose to cash in rather than respond. I thank Top (Srivaddhanaprabha, president) for his understanding, thank you to the managers, to the coach who has always appreciated me, even if he has chosen to expose me a lot lately… I got him as a coach.
“Thank you to the staff for their trust, their advice and of course, their support during my injury and my recovery period.
“There were ups and downs but I never cheated, you can be sure of that. Thank you to everyone who works here on a daily basis, you are the soul of this club!
Saint Etienne also owe a share of the fee as part of the deal which saw Fofana move from France to Leicester in 2020.
He helped the Foxes win the FA Cup, for the first time in their history, in 2021 and made 52 appearances for the club.
Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly said: “Wesley is a hugely promising defender who has already proven his quality in the Premier League at a young age.
“We are delighted to have been able to bring one of Europe’s most exciting talents to Chelsea and to further strengthen this part of our squad, both for this season and many more to come.”
