Chelsea are closing in on confirming their forty first departure of a busy summer season by loaning David Datro Fofana to AEK Athens earlier than the Greek switch window closes on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old, who spent the second half of final season with Burnley, has agreed phrases with AEK. They may even have a £20million choice to purchase the ahead if he impresses.
Chelsea have critically trimmed their bloated squad this summer season, with 40 gamers having already been loaned, offered or launched by the Premier League membership.
Thiago Silva was the primary to depart after the expiry of his contact on the finish of final season, with different senior stars reminiscent of Raheem Sterling, Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, Armando Broja, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Romelu Lukaku later following him by way of the exit.
Chelsea signed Datro Fofana from Norwegian membership Molde for round £8m in January 2023, and so they stand to make a wholesome revenue if AEK go on to signal him completely.
David Datro Fofana has turn into the forty first participant to go away Chelsea in a chaotic summer season
New supervisor Enzo Maresca is shuffling the deck on the Blues with a string of outgoings
The Ivory Coast worldwide made solely 4 appearances in all competitions for the Blues and by no means scored as he was loaned to Union Berlin after which Burnley.
Chelsea nonetheless produce other gamers up for grabs with switch home windows nonetheless open elsewhere reminiscent of Turkey. Ben Chilwell is probably the most excessive profile, whereas Deivid Washington, Alex Matos and Harvey Vale are nonetheless out there on the market or mortgage.
The striker joins Gallagher, who went to Atletico, and Sterling, who moved to Arsenal on mortgage, in addition to 38 others in leaving the aspect this summer season.
Among the many most notable names on the eye-watering checklist of departees are Romelu Lukaku and Thiago Silva.
The Belgium striker headed to Napoli after a irritating three-year spell on the Bridge having made his return to Chelsea for £95m in 2021.
In the meantime 39-year-old Silva, who made 115 appearances for the Blues after arriving on a free switch from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020, headed to his residence nation and Fluminense.
Lewis Corridor, 19, traded London for Newcastle in a deal value £28m whereas Ian Maatsen moved to Aston Villa for £37m after spending the second half of final season on mortgage at Borussia Dortmund.
Joao Felix has made a grand return, arriving from Atletico Madrid for £44m
The summer season was notable for the bevy of outgoings with the likes of Raheem Sterling all escaping the so-called ‘bomb squad’
The tried clear-out at Stamford Bridge concerned a collection of undesirable gamers coaching individually as a part of a bomb squad which at one level had 15 first-team members, together with Gallagher, Lukaku and Sterling.
The shake-up at Chelsea has not up to now modified the fortunes on the membership with Maresca’s aspect gaining simply 4 factors within the first three matches.
The Blues additionally narrowly scraped previous within the Europa Convention League play-off towards Swiss aspect Servette, embarrassingly dropping their away tie 2-1.