David Datro Fofana is stuck in limbo at Premier League giants Chelsea after a potential £20 million move to AEK Athens collapsed on the final day of the Greek transfer window.
- Exclusive from Graeme Bailey
While Chelsea managed to move on Trevoh Chalobah, Raheem Sterling and Connor Gallagher before the window closed – the out-of-favour trio joining Crystal Palace, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid respectively – The Blues’ seldom-seen £10 million striker was not quite so fortunate.
David Datro Fofana is one of those training apart from Enzo Maresca’s first-team squad.
And, with the former Leicester City boss confirming that those bomb-squad members will be left out of the senior let up, Fofana finds himself stuck in limbo and facing up to the very real prospect of no competitive minutes until the New Year.
HITC reported on Wednesday that Chelsea had agreed terms with AEK Athens.
The Greek Super League outfit had planned to sign Fofana on an initial loan deal, with an eventual permanent agreement potentially earning the North London giants a cool £20 million. Such a fee would have made Fofana comfortably the most expensive player in the club’s history.
But, when the Greek transfer window closed later in the day, the deadline passed without the former Molde starlet touching down in Athens.
Chelsea’s David Datro Fofana deal collapses
HITC can now confirm that the deal collapsed after AEK tried to alter the terms of the deal late on. Something Chelsea were not willing to accept.
So, unless a Turkish club comes in to rescue Fofana before their own transfer window closes on Friday, the ex-Union Berlin and Burnley loanee may find himself stuck training with the reserves and the rest of Chelsea’s many misfits for the next four months.
HITC understands that another of those – left-back Ben Chilwell – does have admirers over in Turkey. The Instabul-based trio of Besiktas, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce have all held discussions.
Chelsea will not stand in Chilwell’s way with Marc Cucurella now Maresca’s first choice. Fenerbahce, interestingly, are coached by Stamford Bridge legend Jose Mourinho these days. They also lost their premiere left-back – Ferdi Kadioglu – in a £25 million move to Brighton and Hove Albion back in August.
Besiktas were also keen on Angelo Gabriel before he moved to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
Wesley Fofana confirms Marseille talks
The aforementioned centre-forward, meanwhile, is not the only West London-based Fofana who’s future has been the subject of much speculation of late.
Centre-back Wesley confirmed in an interview with Free Foot this week that he held talks over a potential return to France with Ligue 1 giants Marseille
“I had a conversation that really touched me,” explains the £75 million defender, who has been limited to only 18 Premier League starts due to injury since his arrival from Leicester City. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t weigh it up. It was from (Mehdi) Benatia, Marseille’s sporting director.
‘It touched me and I think everyone knows why,” adds Fofana, a Marseille fan born in the city itself. “I thought about it. But there you go; the current objective is to succeed at Chelsea, to try and play regularly, and to establish myself at my club.
“But OM, we’ll see one day. I still have a contract until 2029 and we’ll see after that. I have never hidden it. (Marseille) is my city, my club, I am an OM supporter.
“We’ll see if I end up being at Marseille in a few years, or if I stay at Chelsea for the rest of my career.”
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