Vincent Kompany and Burnley are in urgent need of reinforcements during the January transfer window. The Clarets romped to promotion as Championship winners last year, racking up 101 points to finish 10 clear of nearest challengers Sheffield United, but they're in real danger of an immediate return to the second tier.
With the side languishing in the relegation zone, Kompany and Alan Pace have moved quickly to strengthen the squad – Burnley have agreed a deal to sign David Datro Fofana on loan from Chelsea until the end of the season.
Fofana set for Burnley medical as deal reaches final stages
Fabrizio Romano provides more details about Fofana's imminent move to Turf Moor. He says there's no option to buy included within the agreement, because Chelsea's plan is for him to amass some "PL experience" before he returns to Stamford Bridge.
In addition, Burnley have also agreed to cover the entirety of the player's salary to satisfy the Blues. Romano confirms Fofana will undergo a medical today (Saturday), and provided that all goes to plan, he should be announced as a Clarets player soon after.
Rapid Fofana can be Burnley's saviour
Fofana joined Chelsea from Norwegian club Molde a year ago and was then loaned to Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin during the summer transfer window. The initial plan was for the 21-year-old to spend the entirety of the season in the German capital, but things didn't exactly go to plan. While he made 17 appearances prior to the league's winter break, 11 from them start, he was only able to score two goals.
Chelsea probably expected Union Berlin, who qualified for last season's Champions League, to be a much stronger team though – they've tumbled so far down the table that they're only three points above the relegation places, albeit with a game in hand. At least with Burnley, Fofana will have a much clearer idea of what he's in for.
The Turf Moor faithful should be most encouraged by his excellent record at Molde. In his final season with the club, he bagged 17 goals in 29 matches as a teenager to fire the team to a league and cup double, and he finished his career there with 24 goals and 10 assists in 65 appearances.
Yes, this league is weak in comparison to the Premier League – it only ranks 15th in the UEFA coefficient – but it's nonetheless impressive that Fofana was putting up those numbers at such a young age.
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ByLuke RandallFeb 1, 2024
Burnley's need for another source of goals is glaringly obvious. After 20 rounds of fixtures, only Sheffield United (15) had scored fewer goals, and the Blades were also the only team in the division whose top scorer had posted a lower tally (three for Cameron Archer vs four for Lyle Foster).
Fofana, then, knows he'll be under pressure to make a swift impact, but one asset he can use to hurt defenders in his pace. His top speed of 34.8 km/h, or 21.6 mp/h, ranks him inside the top 25 in the Bundesliga, so watch out for him on the counterattack.
