TEAM TALK
The owners of Chelsea have agreed to purchase a majority stake in French club Strasbourg and the takeover will see an attacker swap the Premier League for Ligue 1, according to reports.
Chelsea co-owner and chairman Todd Boehly has repeatedly outlined his vision to create a multi-club model. He views this as the best way to bring through young players, as teams can loan their promising teenagers to each other and also share tips about scouting and player development.
And Boehly has now begun that process after buying Strasbourg, who finished 15th in the French top flight last season. The exact size of the takeover has not yet been revealed, although it is claimed Chelsea have paid £65million for almost 100 per cent ownership of the club.
The takeover will immediately get fans thinking about which players might join Chelsea from Strasbourg. However, the first transfer that could happen between the two sides will likely see a Chelsea outcast head to their new sister club.
The 20-year-old, who only joined Chelsea from Nowegian outfit Molde in January, is also picking up interest from Strasbourg’s French competitors Nice and Lille. Elsewhere, German club Union Berlin are hoping to sign him ahead of their first ever Champions League campaign next term.
The report states that Fofana would like to join Nice if given the opportunity. Indeed, he has been in contact with the directors at Nice about a potential move.
Lille cannot be discounted either in the transfer chase as they will need a new centre-forward if star man Jonathan David leaves. But Strasbourg must be considered the frontrunners thanks to their new ties with Chelsea.
Strasbourg given helping hand to sign Chelsea striker
The Stamford Bridge club will likely give Strasbourg first refusal to sign Fofana. Such a move would allow Chelsea to contact Strasbourg regularly to see how he is developing.
Fofana will have been hoping to make a big impact at Chelsea when arriving at the club earlier this year. He had impressed for Molde, registering 17 goals in 29 matches during the 2021-22 campaign.
However, the Ivorian only managed 112 minutes of playing time for Chelsea in the second half of the season just gone.
