Talks between Chelsea and AEK Athens regarding a late move for David Datro Fofana have collapsed, with the Greek outfit unlikely to sign the 21-year-old Ivorian striker today.
According to an update by reputed journalist Nizaar Kinsella, David Datro Fofana has been the subject of interest from AEK Athens in the last few days. However, talks between Chelsea and the Greek outfit regarding a late move in the summer transfer window have stalled, with a deal unlikely to see the light of day.
David Datro Fofana and his Chelsea problems
David Datro Fofana has seen his progress stutter since joining Chelsea from Molde FK in January 2023. The Ivorian striker arrived at Stamford Bridge nearly 18 months ago amid much hype surrounding him, with pundits comparing him to Chelsea legend Didier Drogba.
However, the 21-year-old has barely featured thus far for the West London club, managing only 113 minutes of game time across four appearances thus far for Chelsea. Fofana spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Union Berlin and Burnley. However, neither spell was satisfactory for the young attacker.
Meanwhile, David Datro Fofana’s long-term future at Chelsea has been uncertain for several weeks as he is not in Enzo Maresca’s plans for the 2024/25 season. The Blues have already told the Ivory Coast international to depart from Stamford Bridge this summer. And AEK Athens seemed to be the escape route for the highly-rated centre-forward.
What next?
AEK Athens first showed interest in David Datro Fofana last week after kick-starting negotiations with Chelsea. The Greek giants have been keen on reinforcing their offensive department in the summer transfer window, although time is running out for them to bolster their attack by signing Fofana.
Reports this week have claimed that Chelsea intensified the talks to sell Fofana to AEK Athens before Wednesday’s summer transfer deadline. However, Nizaar Kinsella has revealed that the 21-year-old Ivorian striker’s proposed move to Greece is off.
The Greek outfit could not meet Chelsea’s demands to secure David Datro Fofana’s services before Wednesday’s summer transfer deadline. So, they have set their sights on Maccabi Haifa’s Frantzdy Pierrot as the alternative to the Ivory Coast international. As for Fofana, he will likely remain at Chelsea and waste the first half of the 2024/25 season, considering he is not in Maresca’s plans.
