David Datro Fofana is set to join AEK Athens on loan from Chelsea.
The Greek club have agreed a deal with their English counterparts that will see the 21-year-old move abroad temporarily, with Athens holding an option to permanently buy Fofana for €20million (£16.8m) at the end of the season.
Subject to a medical, Fofana will complete his move to Athens before the Greek transfer window shuts later this evening.
Activating their option to buy Fofana would break Athens’ transfer record, which is currently €6.5m (£5.5m) when they signed Orbelin Pineda from Celta Vigo in 2023.
Chelsea stepped up negotiations with Athens earlier this week, looking for a way to structure the deal that could yield them a profit on the player.
Chelsea initially discussed a permanent transfer that would have seen them receive less than they paid for Fofana upfront, but with add-ons that could secure a profit. However, the two sides ultimately settled on a loan with a purchase option.
The Athletic reported on Monday that Fofana was close to finalising a move away from Stamford Bridge.
The forward has been training away from the first-team squad after being told he was not in head coach Enzo Maresca’s plans.
Fofana joined Chelsea from Molde for a €10m (£8.4m) fee in January 2023 and went on to make just three appearances for the club.
The Ivory Coast international spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Burnley, where he scored four times in 15 appearances under former head coach Vincent Kompany. Before that, he was on loan with Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin.
He has three senior caps for his country but has not featured at international level since 2022.
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