Wesley Fofana has admitted that he was tempted to ditch Chelsea for a return to his hometown this summer.
The 23-year-old French international, who joined Chelsea in a whopping £70million deal from Leicester City in 2022, has had a rough ride with injuries. This included a nasty ACL tear, which saw him sidelined for almost a year and slipping down the pecking order at the club.
This led to rumours of a transfer to Olympique Marseille during the summer, which is something that he did consider.
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The connection to his hometown and the fact that he’s a self-confessed Marseille fan could have played a part in accepting the transfer – but he stayed at Chelsea to prove his worth.
The young defender said: “I got a call that really touched me. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it. It was Mehdi Benatia from Olympique de Marseille, the sporting director.
“It certainly touched me. I think everyone knows why and… I had to think about it. But my objective at the moment is to succeed at Chelsea, to try and win games, and to establish myself at my club.”
The 23-year-old isn’t shutting the door on a future switch to the French outfit, claiming the club as his own and revealing a lifelong affection for the side.
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Fofana said: “And about Olympique de Marseille, we’ll see one day. I still have a contract until 2029. We’ll see after that. I’ve never made any secret of it. It’s my city, it’s my club, I’m an Olympique de Marseille supporter.
“If all goes to plan, I’ll be at Olympique de Marseille in a few years’ time. But I could also spend my whole career at Chelsea, we’ll see.”
Having been a key player in all four Chelsea matches this Premier League season and bagging two victories, a draw, and a sole defeat to Manchester City, Fofana is aiming to carry on delivering high-quality performances. Chelsea are hoping to keep the momentum going as they face West Ham on Saturday afternoon at the London Stadium.