Chelsea transfer news: 23-year-old defender reveals 'touching' exit talks

The Frenchman's Stamford Bridge career is yet to take off due to his awful luck with injuries, which have restricted him to just 23 appearances and two goals for the Blues since 2022.

However, Fofana quickly won over Enzo Maresca and has played the full 90 in each of Chelsea's three Premier League matches this season, albeit while failing to keep a single clean sheet.

Chelsea added one new centre-back to their squad this summer in Tosin Adarabioyo, while Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi and Levi Colwill are also competing for minutes in the middle of defence.

Despite still being under contract with the Blues for another five seasons, Fofana has confirmed to Free Foot that a move to Marseille did cross his mind after a chat with their sporting director Mehdi Benatia, a former Morocco defender.

Fofana: 'Marseille conversation really touched me'

"I had a conversation [this summer] that really touched me. I would be lying if I said I didn't weigh it up. It was from [Mehdi] Benatia, Marseille's sporting director," the Evening Standard quotes Fofana as saying.

"It touched me and I think everyone knows why. I thought about it but there you go, the current objective is to succeed at Chelsea, to try and play regularly, and to establish myself at my club."

Fofana was born in Marseille but never represented Les Olympiens, instead joining the Saint-Etienne youth academy and coming through the ranks at the same time as Arsenal's William Saliba.

The 23-year-old joined Leicester City in a £29.5m deal in 2020, winning the FA Cup in his debut season at the King Power Stadium, but he then missed most of 2021-22 on account of a broken leg.

Nevertheless, Chelsea saw fit to splurge £67.9m on Fofana two years ago, only for the defender to suffer two knee injuries in his first season before missing the whole of 2023-24 after tearing his ACL.

Could Fofana still join Marseille in the future?

Despite his crushing fitness setbacks, Fofana has quickly established himself as a key figure in Maresca's defence, and he did not rule out staying at Chelsea for the rest of his career if he does not fulfil his childhood dream of representing Marseille.

Asked if he could play for Les Olympiens down the line, the centre-back added: "We'll see one day. I still have a contract until 2029 and we'll see after that.

"I have never hidden it, [Marseille] is my city, my club, I am an OM supporter. We'll see if I end up being at Marseille in a few years, or if I stay at Chelsea for the rest of my career."

Fofana will be expected to start for the Blues in their next Premier League game against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, having failed to make the France squad for the September international break.