pwshub.com

Chelsea's David Datro Fofana 41ST player to leave in frantic summer

David Datro Fofana has become the 41st player to leave Chelsea in a chaotic summer at Stamford Bridge, following the completion of a loan move to AEK Athens.

A hectic transfer window in west London has seen a host of players enter and exit the club as new manager Enzo Maresca shuffles the deck under the surveillance of owner Todd Boehly.

In came Pedro Neto for £50million from Wolves and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for £30m from Leicester, while Joao Felix made a grand return, arriving from Atletico Madrid for £44m.

The summer was more notable for the bevy of outgoings with the likes of Conor Gallagher and Raheem Sterling all escaping the so-called 'bomb squad', which at one point consisted of 15 players, and heading for the door.

The latest such player is Fofana who today jetted off to Greece for another loan spell, after spending the last campaign at Burnley, as per Fabrizio Romano on X, formerly Twitter.

David Datro Fofana has become the 41st player to leave Chelsea in a chaotic summer

The striker spent the last campaign at Burnley and is now off on loan to AEK Athens

New manager Enzo Maresca is shuffling the deck at the Blues with a string of outgoings

The Italian journalist posted: 'David Datro Fofana leaves Chelsea to join AEK Athens on loan deal, agreement reached. 

'It also includes a buy option clause for £20m not mandatory, up to AEK in June 2025 to decide about it. 

'Fofana has accepted, paperwork time now.'

The striker joins Gallagher, who went to Atletico, and Sterling, who moved to Arsenal on loan, as well as 38 others in leaving the side this summer.

Among the most notable names on the eye-watering list of departees are Romelu Lukaku and Thiago Silva.

The Belgium striker headed to Napoli after a frustrating three-year spell at the Bridge having made his return to Chelsea for £95m in 2021.

Meanwhile 39-year-old Silva, who made 115 appearances for the Blues after arriving on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020, headed to his home country and Fluminense.

Lewis Hall, 19, traded London for Newcastle in a deal worth £28m while Ian Maatsen moved to Aston Villa for £37m after spending the second half of last season on loan at Borussia Dortmund. 

Joao Felix has made a grand return, arriving from Atletico Madrid for £44m

The summer was notable for the bevy of outgoings with the likes of Raheem Sterling all escaping the so-called 'bomb squad'

Fofana joins Conor Gallagher who went to Atletico Madrid for a fee of £35m

The Blues also narrowly scraped past in the Europa Conference League play-off against Swiss side Servette

The attempted clear-out at Stamford Bridge involved a selection of unwanted players training separately as part of a bomb squad which at one point had 15 first-team members, including Gallagher, Lukaku and Sterling. 

The shake-up at Chelsea has not so far changed the fortunes at the club with Maresca's side gaining just four points in the first three matches 

The Blues also narrowly scraped past in the Europa Conference League play-off against Swiss side Servette, embarrassingly losing their away tie 2-1.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Related stories
1 week ago - The 21-year-old had been set to join the Greek side on a season-long loan which would also have included the option of a permanent move for £20million.
1 month ago - Sterling, Chilwell, Lukaku, Arrizabalaga and Chalobah are among the Chelsea players who have been told they cannot train with the first team at Cobham.
2 weeks ago - KIERAN GILL: Chelsea 's fire sale is continuing despite the transfer window closing in England, with the Premier League club offloading yet another player.
3 weeks ago - The Chelsea manager issued a warning to out-of-favour star Raheem Sterling, and the rest of the exiled playing group, urging them to find deals to away from the club this summer.
1 month ago - At the time of writing, Chelsea have already signed 12 new players this summer with seven exiting Stamford Bridge. But the Blues are not finished in the transfer market, not even close.
Other stories
4 minutes ago - JOE BERNSTEIN AT THE GEWISS STADIUM: Mikel Arteta's side had to call on David Raya to pull off a fine double save from Mateo Retegui as they were forced to defend for large periods.
4 minutes ago - Barcelona defender Eric Garcia was eventually sent off in Thursday's Champions League opener against AS Monaco after the referee got his cards muddled up.  
4 minutes ago - Both players have become undroppable under Mikel Arteta and been credited as a major force behind the Gunners' recent Premier League title challenges.
4 minutes ago - David Raya produced two moments of brilliance to stop Arsenal going behind in their Champions League opener against Atalanta on Thursday night.
4 minutes ago - ISAAN KHAN AT THE GEWISS STADIUM: How David Raya denied Mateo Retegui not once, but twice, only he knows.