Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has stated that Armando Broja and David Datro Fofana are anticipated to depart Chelsea permanently this summer.
Additionally, there are rumors that Kepa Arrizabalaga has drawn interest from Serie A club Napoli, so the goalkeeper may follow the two out the Stamford Bridge exit door.
Since Broja and Fofana were out on loan for large chunks of the previous season, their futures at Chelsea have been unknown this summer.
The forward from Albania, Broja was on loan at Fulham, a rival team in west London, for the second half of the previous season. In his eight appearances for Marco Silva’s team, he was unable to score.
While Fofana, an Ivory Coast striker, played the first half of the 2023–24 season in Germany with Union Berlin, he was loaned to Burnley in January.
There have been rumors that Broja and Fofana are not part of Chelsea’s plans for the upcoming season after both players were left out of the team for Tuesday’s preseason friendly against Real Madrid in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The European champions defeated Chelsea 2-1; the Blues had only won one of their five preseason games, suffering crushing losses to Manchester City and Celtic.
The final preseason game between Chelsea and Inter Milan will take place at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. On August 18, Chelsea will play Man City at home to begin the new Premier League season.
Romano stated that “both are expected to leave on [a] permanent transfer” before the window closes on August 30, therefore it is unclear if Broja and Fofana will still be Chelsea players when the new domestic season begins.
Kepa and Antonio Conte to team up at Napoli?
Fresh uncertainty surrounds Kepa’s future, as Napoli is expected to pursue the 29-year-old goalkeeper if Alex Meret leaves.
Italian reports state that Kepa has been considered as a backup since new Napoli manager Antonio Conte is not convinced by Meret’s skills.
Kepa played 20 games while on loan at Real Madrid during the previous season, helping Carlo Ancelotti’s team win both the La Liga and the Champions League.
Kepa joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2018 for a cost of £71.6 million, making him the most expensive goalkeeper in football history. His current contract is set to expire next summer.
Chelsea turned down an offer for Al-Ittihad’s Kepa earlier this summer, and the Saudi Arabian team has since cooled their interest in the player.
