Among most valuable winter deals 2023
David Datro Fofana’s transfer to Chelsea is official. The Blues announced the move to January 1, which had been brewing in the past few days, in one sentence on Wednesday, without mentioning the length of the contract or the transfer fee.
According to media reports, Fofana breaks the record as the most expensive departure from his previous club Molde FK. The Ivorian center forward Erling Haaland, who went to Red Bull Salzburg for 8 million in 2018/19, replaces the rumored 12 million euros. He is second in Norway’s league history to Mikel John Obi, who also joined Chelsea in 2006/07 from Lyn FK for €20m – in this case a large part of that sum went to Manchester United following a transfer legal dispute .
In the forthcoming winter transfer window, only Cody Gakpo (€42m; PSV to Liverpool FC) and Fernando Gorriarán (€12.2m Santos Laguna to Tigres UANL) have been more expensive. With a market value of 7 million euros, Fofana is also one of the ten most valuable players who will change clubs in January (to the statistics).
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Molde had signed the attacker from his hometown of Abidjan City FC in February 2021 and kept him contracted until the end of 2024. Fofana scored 15 goals and five assists in 24 games en route to their fifth league title, as well as contributing six goals and two assists in Conference League qualifiers, the group stage where Molde narrowly missed out on third, and the NM Cup .
Chelsea FC has reached a pre-agreement with Molde FK for the transfer of David Datro Fofana.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 28, 2022
In the course of the market value update in Norway, market value admin “Arturus” said about Fofana, who has risen to the most valuable player in Eliteserien history: “The 19-year-old was already considered a huge talent before his move to Molde and has finally made his breakthrough in his second season on Norwegian soil Done. He is fast, tricky, strong in tackles and can hardly be separated from the ball, but still has weaknesses in decision-making and finishing. Nevertheless, his individual skills are so outstanding that a number of international clubs are said to have approached Molde. Fabrizio Romano recently reported that Brighton are very interested and that Molde does not want to negotiate less than 10 million euros in view of other interested parties such as Ajax. Due to the current ‘hype’ about Fofana, parallels with Haaland are often drawn, but they have little substance, since the Ivorian is a completely different type of player and does not yet come close to Haaland’s talent in the overall package. Nonetheless, given his young age, strong season, strong market interest and recent senior squad call-up, Fofana will be rewarded with the appropriate upgrade.”
So far it is unclear whether Chelsea plans directly with Fofana or whether he will be loaned out first, as has happened so often with players in the past. However, the Londoners recently reported Armando Broja’s month-long absence due to a cruciate ligament rupture. Alongside veteran Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (33), the 21-year-old is the only trained centre-forward in Graham Potter’s squad.
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