Chelsea end talks with Galatasaray over David Datro Fofana loan
Chelsea have halted negotiations over the loan transfer of David Datro Fofana to Galatasaray until the end of the current campaign. The revelation was made by transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano who took to Twitter to make the update.
The 20-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge from Molde and is raw around the edges. While Fofana’s talent is undeniable it is debatable if he is ready to be thrown in at the far end for Chelsea.
A loan spell elsewhere with regular first-team minutes would have done him the world of good. It would have at the very least accelerated his development and given Chelsea a shot at having the player ready to impress for the 2023/24 campaign.
It emerged that Chelsea were trying to loan the young player to the Turkish league but that does not appear to be on the agenda anymore. Fofana cost £10 million, following a stellar campaign for Molde in which he scored 24 goals in 65 games for the Norwegian club.
The teenager has a six-year deal with Blues that runs until 2029, with an additional 12-month extension option. The 20-year-old has already played in two games, losing 4-0 to Manchester City in the first and drawing in the West London derby in the second.
Fofana’s loan move may also have an impact due to the striker shortage, as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future at Chelsea is still up in the air following his omission from the squad for the Champions League knockout rounds.
And the only attacking leader the Blues have is the former Molde striker. Chelsea’s inability to score prompted the team to invest in a number nine in the January transfer window. However, the 20-year-old is not the infallible goalscorer they needed and is more of a long-term investment in the position.
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Nevertheless, Chelsea’s choice to keep Fofana at the club could end up benefiting them. After all, he could have been the difference-maker at Fulham at the weekend. Graham Potter has a good record of developing youth and Fofana can learn much from the Englishman’s guidance.
Chelsea need a striker and in Fofgana, they now have a genuine option. Whether the youngster will be the answer to the club’s woes remains to be seen.
