Everton have made an enquiry for Lyon winger Malick Fofana, sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk, though they face tough competition from 10 other Premier League clubs for his signature, including rivals Liverpool.
The Toffees are looking to strengthen all over the pitch, and manager David Moyes has the full backing of owners, The Friedkin Group, in the transfer window.
Adding quality winger options on both flanks is a key target for Everton. Fofana, 20, is an exciting prospect and can play on either side, though he generally features on the left.
And with Lyon suffering relegation to Ligue 2, pending appeal, due to their perilous financial position, a number of clubs are keen to take advantage and try to swoop in for Fofana this summer.
TEAMtalk understands that Everton have made contact with Lyon to understand the conditions of a potential transfer. However, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are keen and they too have made enquiries, along with seven other unnamed Premier League sides.
Sources state that the race for the once-capped Belgian international is open and in the early stages, with no clubs having advanced in talks at this stage.
Everton will need to move quickly to win the race for Fofana, though. They will hope that Lyon’s relegation will force the French side into considering offers below their €50m (£42.6m / $58.6m) valuation.
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Everton considering several winger targets
Everton have generally looked at right-winger options so far this summer, as Moyes looks to fill the void left by loanees Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom, who will both return to their parent clubs.
As TEAMtalk has consistently reported, West Brom’s Tom Fellows and Liverpool youngster Ben Doak are both admired by Everton. They have also scouted PSV Eindhoven star Johan Bakayoko, while our transfer correspondent Rudy Galetti has confirmed the Toffees’ interest in Juventus’ Timothy Weah.
Fofana’s versatility and potential have captured the Toffees’ attention. They are unlikely to make any concrete moves for Fofana until the start of July (Tuesday), which marks the beginning of a new PSR (Profitability and Sustainability Rules) year.
With Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham all showing interest, it won’t be a straightforward race to win but Everton have made their interest known to Lyon.
The Toffees have a good relationship with Lyon, having loaned Orel Mangala last season, and they also came close to signing Ernest Nuamah from them in January.
Everton, meanwhile, continue to eye a new striker signing, with Villarreal star Thierno Barry a leading target and club-to-club talks underway. Barry is keen on the move to Merseyside and Moyes’ team are growing in confidence of sealing a transfer.
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Who is Malick Fofana?
By Samuel Bannister
Born in the Belgian city of Aalst in 2005, Malick Fofana spent eight years developing in the Gent academy and graduated to earn 64 appearances for the first team.
He earned his move to Lyon in January 2024 and his full international debut for Belgium followed that October.
Right-footed, he has mainly played on the left wing for Lyon, getting more consistent game time in a focused position than he did during his teenage years with Gent.
He has grown in terms of his goal threat too, reaching 10 for the 2024-25 season thanks majorly to his impact for Lyon in the Europa League.
OL’s faith in him is paying off. They paid a significant price to sign him when he was just 18 years old and they were looking over their shoulders in the Ligue 1 table.
It could be argued that OL took a risk buying Fofana. But the player himself is a risk taker. In an age of calculated tactics where anything that could lead to a loss of possession is discouraged, Fofana loves to take on opponents.
There are areas to add to his game, but the way he has improved his finishing is promising. And when you have the explosive pace that he possesses, opponents can sometimes be helpless.
Fofana ranks in the 98th percentile for Ligue 1 wingers and attacking midfielders with the most progressive carries per 90 minutes.
His boss Pierre Sage observed in December that Fofana recorded a ‘quite enormous’ 400 metres of sprinting in one game against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League.
Considering players from Europe’s top five leagues, FBref names Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho as the one Fofana is most stylistically similar to.
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