Burnley have signed Chelsea forward David Datro Fofana on loan until the end of the season.
Having started his career in his native Ivory Coast, Fofana moved to Europe with Norwegian side Molde in February 2021. He bagged 24 goals from 65 appearances in two years, before putting pen to paper in a six-year contract with Chelsea in January last year.
The 21-year-old has played just four times for the west Londoners so far, completing a half-season loan to Union Berlin in which he scored twice from 17 appearances.
He joins a Burnley side that sits four points adrift from safety between teams with a game in hand. The Clarets have scored just 21 goals so far this season, the joint- fewest in the league, and dropped two points against Luton Town in the 92nd minute on Friday night.
Despite their recent form, the club followed its trend of eye-catching transfer announcement videos, posting a clip of Fofana as – wait for it – E.T. to share news of his arrival.
In a statement on the club’s website, Fofana said: “It feels very good to be here, I’m really happy. I think it will be a really good place for me to progress and it’s the perfect move for me.
I found him, he belongs to me 🌖 pic.twitter.com/SUMn3KNNkXJanuary 13, 2024
"To work with Vincent Kompany will be very good. I have seen a couple of games already and I think this is the right place for me to make the next steps.
"I have known about Burnley for a long time, they have been in the Premier League before this season and the Champions[hip] last year and I’m now looking forward to being a part of this team."
The Clarets next face Manchester City away after their winter break. They face a tough return to action, with fixtures against Liverpool and Arsenal also on the horizon.
Fofana is set to return to Chelsea at the end of the season, so if things don’t work out in the north-west, he can at least phone home.
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