CHELSEA are allegedly on the verge of signing Molde’s David Datro Fofana as a replacement for injured striker Armando Broja.
Albanian international Broja looks set to miss the rest of the season after scans revealed he had torn his ACL and needed surgery.
The Chelsea striker went down in cries of pain during the first half of their mid-season friendly against Aston Villa on Sunday.
Broja, 21, was challenging for the ball with Villa defender Ezri Konsa who, along with teammate Robin Olsen, immediately signalled for medical assistance after the ace caught his boot in the turf.
He returned to London with the Chelsea squad on Monday before undergoing a scan to assess the damage which revealed he faces five months on the sidelines.
That setback leaves Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the club’s only out-and-out senior striker.
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With no recall option to bring Romelu Lukaku back from his loan at Inter Milan, boss Graham Potter is desperate for reinforcements.
And now he is allegedly on the verge of bringing in the 19-year-old Ivory Coast international Datro Fofana.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano broke the news earlier on social media.
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He tweeted: “Chelsea are on the verge of signing David Datro Fofana, here we go soon!
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“There’s full agreement in place with Molde to sign Ivorian striker born in 2002.”
He added: “Personal terms are still being discussed with player — then deal will be signed for more than €10m fee.”
The teenager, who stands at 5ft 11in, made his breakthrough into the Molde first-team in 2021 and already has experience of the Europa Conference League.
He rifled in 19 goals in 34 appearances last term, which earned him international recognition last month.
Datro Fofana received his first cap for Ivory Coast in their 4-0 friendly victory over Burundi.
Now he could be set for another big step-up if he manages to finalise personal terms for a switch to Stamford Bridge.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
