Following Burnley’s relegation yesterday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Capital Football managed to track down David Fofana for an exclusive interview.
Uncertainty surrounds the status of the Chelsea loanee, who performed admirably during his six months with the Clarets but is now expected to return for preseason.
I haven’t given [a return to Chelsea] any consideration just yet. It seems like a good idea to return and participate in Chelsea’s preseason training. Initially, I planned to remain [in January], but then things happened… However, I can say without a doubt that my friend Nicolas Jackson is someone I am not envious of.
It appeared in January that he might be joining Broja on the out, but they were both loaned out in the end. Nicolas Jackson’s ability to play through the remainder of the campaign injury-and suspension-free is proof that the gamble paid off. Nevertheless, we must commence the process of making grave determinations concerning the Ivorian’s destiny by the summer.
Despite scoring in the Premier League, his worth has dropped to €10 million according to Transfermarkt, from €12 million when we signed him.
An opportunity to act as Jackson’s backup to Armando Broja
After an unexpectedly quiet first half of the season with Union Berlin, Fofana got off to a strong start with Burnley, sparking their fight against relegation that eventually died down in the final month.
After such performances, he should be able to get another valuable Premier League loan for next year. Depending on the summer transfer market, his desire of returning to Chelsea to back Jackson is also far from outlandish.
The possibility that the sporting directors see Fofana as a future backup to Jackson next year, freeing up funds for other needs and paving the path for Broja’s transfer, is not out of the question.
