Sporting director claims Chelsea loanee is struggling with 'personal problems' after poor start to Bundesliga season

Highly-rated Chelsea striker David Datro Fofana has failed to hit the ground running since joining Union Berlin on loan this summer. Sporting director Oliver Ruhnert has revealed the reason behind the young striker's struggles at the club.

Chelsea have invested heavily in young talent in the past year under the ownership of Todd Boehly. Cote d'Ivoire striker Datro Fofana was one of their additions this year, joining the club from Norwegian side Molde for around £10 million.

Fofana joined Union Berlin in the summer on a season-long loan deal, as the Blues believed the German club to be best for his development. The 20-year-old was impressive in pre-season for Die Eisernen, finding the net on several occasions.

The transition to competitive football in Germany has been a difficult one for Datro Fofana, though, who has yet to open his account for the club. Ruhnert revealed to Kicker that the youngster has been plagued by a number of personal issues, which have prevented him from hitting the ground running.

“Changing the results is not that easy for a young player. He also had private problems at times. A little something came together. He also lacks a bit of goals to give him self-confidence.”

Chelsea chose Union Berlin as their preferred choice for Datro Fofana to head out on loan to with their offer of UEFA Champions League football. The striker has featured nine times in total for the German side, with his appearances totaling 454 minutes. He has started six of the nine games he has played for his club.

Early season review: Mixed bag for Chelsea loanees

Chelsea have invested heavily under Boehly, prioritising young, highly-rated players from all over the world. The club opted to send a number of its young players out on loan to gain experience and play regularly.

Some of the loanees have been impressive for their new sides, including wantaway striker Romelu Lukaku. Teenage star Angelo Gabriel has impressed at Strasbourg, winning the league's Young Player of the Month award.

Young defender Bashir Humphreys, midfielder Cesare Casadei and winger Omari Hutchinson have performed well in the Championship, too. Several other loanees have performed at a decent level.

On the other side of the spectrum, Brazil U-20 captain Andrey Santos has struggled at Steve Cooper's Nottingham Forest side, similar to Fofana. Nonetheless, there is still time for these players to turn the corner and deliver improved performances on loan.