Insider says Chelsea “prepared to offer” striker to multiple clubs as potential poker chip | OneFootball

Ben Jacobs’ exclusive column for Simon Phillips’s Substack today has all sorts of interesting information about players coming and going this summer.

It has updates on all the major transfer stories, including the ongoing attempts to sign Jhon Duran from Aston Villa. Jacobs notes another player who could be offered in exchange:

“Chelsea are also prepared to offer David Datro Fofana, and not just for Villa. He is certainly not transfer listed or going to be forced out, but potentially available if it suits all parties,” he wrote.

The Ivorian showed some flashes on loan last season, but not really enough to convince anyone he’s ready to be a regular starter at a top team just yet. If anything, the fact that Chelsea are willing to push hard to get Duran and give up Fofana in the process probably indicates that those in charge don’t really rate Fofana.

David Datro Fofana playing for Burnley.

An important potential poker chip

Fofana has been slightly forgotten about in the summer so far, with so much more concern about who might be brought in rather than who might leave.

We’re sure the focus was going to fall on him at some point anyway, as both his short and long term future need to be sorted out, but this reminds us all that he’s still very much a poker chip in this game.

All avenues seem open for him – he could stay and back up Nicolas Jackson if we don’t find the striker we want. Or he could be used in a part-exchange deal for someone like Duran. Or, he could just be sold off, as Jacobs points out. Or, maybe he will just spend another year on loan, allowing us to make a more informed decision a year down the line?

Nothing can be ruled out at this stage, making his future a particularly interesting one to follow.