Olympique Lyon talent Malick Fofana has been one of the revelations from Ligue 1 in recent months, and with five goals and two assists to his name already this season, it looks like the French giants could cash in on him to alleviate some of their financial stress.
Caught Offside has reported that Arsenal and Liverpool are showing a keen interest in luring Fofana to England, though both Premier League giants will need to fend off further competition for the 19-year-old from AC Milan, Aston Villa, Bayern Munich and Juventus.
As per the report, Lyon will seek a transfer fee close to £29 million for the forward, though Fofana’s suitors might look to leverage the club’s financial position to secure the forward’s signing for an even lower sum.
Liverpool could beat Arsenal to Fofana
If a race for Malick Fofana’s signature was to boil down between Arsenal and Liverpool, the latter is likely to usurp the former.
Though Arsenal are expected to be keen on offensive additions, a striker would be their priority given they desperately need another goalscorer in the squad to support Kai Havertz.
Liverpool, meanwhile, are left to sweat over Mohamed Salah’s future after the Egyptian recently showed his disappointment at not receiving a contract extension offer from the club and saying that he is ‘more out’ at the moment.
The Egyptian international’s possible departure as a free agent would leave the Reds in desperate need of a winger who can score on a regular basis, so they could make Fofana their priority, even if it means matching Lyon’s £29 million valuation.
Having played for perhaps the biggest French club, the Belgian international could be looking for a newer start where he would play in the Champions League and contend regularly for trophies. While that is very much possible at Arsenal, he could do so at Liverpool as a regular fixture in the team’s starting eleven.
A move for Fofana in the winter is a realistic possibility considering Lyon are facing a race against time to balance their books, so a resolution on his next club could be sought sooner rather than later.