Who is Burnley’s new loan signing David Datro Fofana? The lowdown on £11m ‘street footballer’ who aims to follow in Erling Haaland’s footsteps
Burnley have clinched the loan signing of Chelsea striker David Datro Fofana on a deal until the end of the season.
The 21-year-old, who was recently recalled from his spell with Union Berlin, becomes Burnley’s first addition of the January transfer window.
Fofana scored twice in 17 appearances for the German outfit, with one of those strikes coming in a Champions League game against Napoli.
The striker, who prefers to play as a number nine but can also slot in on either side of a front three, has already been capped three times by the Ivory Coast.
He made his name in Norway playing for Molde, the side where Erling Haaland also made his breakthrough before joining Red Bull Salzburg.
The new Burnley man scored 24 goals in 65 appearances during his time there, while also producing 10 assists.
His form earned the frontman a £11m move to Chelsea this time last year and he immediately made his debut in an FA Cup outing against Manchester City.
Growing up on the streets of Ouragahio, Fofana would later join AFAD Djekanou in the capital city of Abidjan.
"I was shaped in the streets,” Fofana has previously been quoted as saying.
“I'm not like the others, not educated. I am not a product of the academies, everything comes from the streets.
“Street football has a bit of everything: technique, physicality and finishing, because you play with tiny goals. You have to be very accurate to score."
Fofana has made no secret of his ambition and has aimed to take attributes from all of the world’s best players to perfect his game.
"When it comes to dribbling, I look at Ronaldinho and the old Ronaldo," he said.
"When it comes to scoring, it's Cristiano Ronaldo – his headers, how he positions himself in the box.
"When it comes to changes in direction, it's Lionel Messi - how he plays his moves. When it comes to using physicality, it's Zlatan Ibrahimovic. I watch how he holds off defenders with his body."
After joining Molde in February 2021, he even moved into the apartment once occupied by Haaland.
"It is symbolic," he said. "You say to yourself, 'We started at the same place'. Tomorrow, I will be like him. What a player."