David Datro Fofana’s Chelsea nightmare nears permanent exit as Championship clubs circle

David Datro Fofana’s disappointing spell at Chelsea looks set to come to an end, with the 23-year-old reportedly expected to leave Stamford Bridge permanently before the summer transfer window closes.

The Ivory Coast international joined Chelsea from Norwegian club Molde in January 2023 for a fee believed to be around £11 million. His reputation was growing rapidly at the time after he scored 15 goals in 24 Eliteserien appearances during the 2022 campaign, helping Molde secure the league title by an impressive 18-point margin.

Despite that promising start, Fofana struggled to establish himself in west London. He has made only four senior appearances for Chelsea, spending much of his time away from the club on loan.

His temporary spells have taken him to several different clubs, including Union Berlin, Burnley, Goztepe, Karagumruk and Strasbourg. His most productive loan came at Karagumruk, where he scored eight goals in 15 appearances.

According to The Athletic, Chelsea are now prepared to part company with Fofana permanently, with clubs in the Championship and overseas showing interest. Should he remain in England, several second-tier clubs could view the striker as an attractive option.

Preston North End

Preston North End could be one of the strongest potential destinations given their urgent need for another striker.

Their requirement for reinforcements became even greater following Milutin Osmajic’s move to Serie A club Genoa. Although the Montenegro international was a divisive figure at Deepdale, his goalscoring threat will still need to be replaced.

At present, Jusef Erabi, who is on loan from Genk, is the only recognised central striker available to Paul Heckingbottom.

Preston have reportedly shown interest in Southampton’s Cameron Archer on loan, but adding a permanent forward would also make sense. With Chelsea willing to sell Fofana, the Ivorian could offer the club another option.

The 23-year-old still has plenty of potential to fulfil and could benefit greatly from playing regularly. Preston could provide that opportunity, especially given that they were previously linked with Fofana towards the end of last summer’s transfer window.

If he can rediscover his best form at Deepdale, Preston could also potentially benefit financially from his development in the future.

Derby County

Derby County are another Championship club that could consider making a move for Fofana as they look to strengthen their attacking depth before the transfer window closes.

The Rams have yet to bring in another striker despite Ben Brereton Diaz returning from his loan spell and Patrick Agyemang being unavailable until around the new year following an Achilles injury.

Carlton Morris remains a reliable option, while Derby will be hoping last summer’s £7.3 million signing can continue developing into one of the division’s more effective strikers. Nevertheless, another forward would provide valuable depth.

Rather than pursuing a permanent transfer, Derby could potentially explore a loan arrangement to cover the period until Agyemang is back. Chelsea youngster Shim Mheuka could be another possibility, but Fofana would also fit the profile of player John Eustace needs.

His record during previous loan spells demonstrates that he can contribute goals when given regular opportunities. He scored four times in 15 Premier League appearances for Burnley in 2023/24 before finding the net eight times in 15 matches for Turkish side Fatih Karagumruk last season.

A successful spell at Pride Park could give Derby another attacking weapon while potentially increasing Fofana’s value. If the striker can reproduce his goalscoring form, he could help the Rams push towards another top-eight finish.

Birmingham City

Birmingham City’s situation could also make Fofana an interesting option.

Marvin Ducksch’s future at St Andrew’s remains uncertain after the German forward was left out for the final three matches of last season. His involvement has also been extremely limited this term, with just six minutes of competitive football so far.

Reports from Germany suggest Birmingham would be prepared to accept an offer of around €500,000 for Ducksch if he returns to the Bundesliga or 2. Bundesliga.

Should Ducksch leave, Chris Davies would need to bring in another striker. August Priske appears to have earned the manager’s confidence and could be set for a breakthrough campaign, while Luis Vazquez provides another option. Jay Stansfield can also play centrally, but further competition would strengthen the squad.

Birmingham are arguably in a stronger financial position than Preston or Derby to complete a deal for Fofana. A move to the Blues could also allow him to settle gradually rather than being expected to immediately carry the goalscoring burden, with competition for the starting role likely to come from Priske and Alvarez.

Ultimately, Birmingham’s interest would depend heavily on what happens with Ducksch. If the German leaves before the window shuts, Fofana could represent an intriguing option for the Blues as they look to bolster their attacking ranks.