Wesley Fofana has revealed that he considered leaving Chelsea during the summer transfer window.
The 23-year-old has been a key figure in Chelsea’s Premier League campaign this season, playing the full 90 minutes in each of the club’s three matches so far.
Fofana has become integral to new manager Enzo Maresca’s defensive setup after recovering from a knee injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2023-24 season.
However, the centre-back admitted that he contemplated a move away from Stamford Bridge, with interest coming from his hometown club, Marseille.
“I had a conversation [this summer] that really touched me,’ Fofana told Free Foot.
“I would be lying if I said I didn’t weigh it up.
“It was from [Mehdi] Benatia, Marseille’s sporting director.”
Born in Marseille in 2000, the Frenchman began his youth career at a small club on the city’s outskirts, Repos Vitrolles.
Despite growing up near the home of the former Champions League winners, Fofana has never donned a Marseille shirt.
Although he briefly considered the opportunity, he ultimately turned down the offer to pursue his career in West London.
“It touched me and I think everyone knows why,” he added.
“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.
“But OM, 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.”
The French club’s approach came during the same summer as Fofana’s fallout with teammate Enzo Fernandez.
The Argentine midfielder had posted a video celebrating his country’s Copa America victory, in which he was seen singing a controversial chant aimed at France’s Black players.
The chant specifically singled out Kylian Mbappé, prompting the French Football Federation to file a formal complaint with FIFA.
They also publicly condemned the incident.
Speaking during pre-season in July, Wesley Fofana said: “We talked together. I explained why I didn’t like the video.
“He explained.
“He said sorry because he did not want to hurt French fans or anyone.
“He did not understand when singing it.
“And I trust him. Because I know him. I know Enzo.
“He is not racist. It is just the video is bad. It’s not only Enzo.
“It’s the Argentinian team. Enzo is in the video but if he was from another country, I would have posted the same thing.
“For sure, it was a big story because we play in the same team.
“But now it is done, it’s good. I’m happy with this situation because he understands me, I understand him, he said sorry, I trust him, and that is the most important thing.
“Enzo is a big player in Argentina.
“I hope this has educated him a bit, because for sure, it is a different culture.”
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I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.