Premier League Leicester City have agreed to sign French central defender Wesley Fofana from St Etienne, the Ligue 1 club said on Tuesday.
St Etienne's statement did not give a transfer fee but said it was the biggest the club had ever received for a player and that it was compelled to accept the "exceptional" offer due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
British media said the fee for Fofana, 19, was around 32 million pounds.
Fofana broke into the St Etienne first team from the academy in May 2019 and made 17 Ligue 1 starts for the club, also helping them reach last season's Coupe de France final where they lost 1-0 to Paris St Germain.
(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Toby Davis)
