‘OM has a place in my heart’ – Wesley Fofana on Marseille’s summer approach

Wesley Fofana (23) has revealed in an exclusive interview with Téléfoot that he was approached by Olympique de Marseille’s sporting advisor Medhi Benatia over the summer.

There was some uncertainty about Fofana’s future at Chelsea as the club was beginning a new project with the departure of Mauricio Pochettino and the arrival of his successor Enzo Maresca. The centre-back had missed the entire 2023/24 campaign and there was no guarantee that Maresca would want to rely upon him.

With that in mind, Marseille looked to test the waters for a defender who had been born in the city but had never made an appearance for the club. And Fofana reveals there was definitely a certain attraction to returning home to his city, as he states “We got a call from Mr. Benatia. And my heart went: boom boom.”

However, a conversation with Maresca would put an end to Marseille’s pursuit of the defender. Fofana explains to the French broadcaster, “I didn’t know if I was going to be part of Chelsea’s project. But I had a talk with the coach. He told me he was counting on me this year. So I said, I was very happy and I was 100% with Chelsea.”

Still, Fofana does not close the door fully on an eventual homecoming once his time at Chelsea has come to an end as he notes, “It’s true that Marseille has a place in my heart, [so] we’ll see.”

GFFN | Nick Hartland