Chelsea were desperate to sign him, yet Eintracht Frankfurt now appear to have a new striker on the hook

In his home country, N'Guessan is regarded as one of the most promising talents in French football. Despite spending most of the current season on the fringes of Saint-Étienne's first team, he has caught the eye of Bundesliga side Frankfurt, a club known for helping young French professionals take the next step in their careers.

Despite limited first-team exposure, the youngster has made 325 minutes across 13 competitive appearances for the Green Stags, scoring once. As recently as January, the club was reluctant to part with the youngster, with management unwilling to risk its chances of immediate promotion back to the top flight. 

Having been relegated last term, the club targeted an immediate return to Ligue 1, so when Chelsea tabled an eight-million-euro bid, Saint-Étienne turned it down, according to L'Équipe.

The Blues' multi-million-pound bid made quite an impression, but on the pitch things did not go to plan for the teenager and his club. He stayed, but after missing out on promotion, departures are now expected this summer—and N'Guessan could well be one of them. 

Having missed out on promotion to the top flight, Saint-Etienne must rethink their financial strategy and may be forced to sell some of their star players. Last season, he made just five first-team appearances.

Though he has yet to break into his club's first team, the youngster already turns heads whenever he pulls on the French national jersey. He has thrived through the youth ranks, posting eye-catching numbers: 11 goals in 11 U17 games and 12 goals in 14 U16 outings.

That finishing ability attracted the attention of the national set-up, and the coaches fast-tracked his development. He has already featured for the U20s, underlining his status within the French Football Federation.

N'Guessan is under contract until 2027, having joined the club's youth academy twelve years ago.