Manchester United almost looked to complete a deal for Lyon winger Malick Fofana in the final few hours of the transfer window, according to reports - with the 20-year-old springing onto their priority list after Ruben Amorim suffered a squad shortage in the space of just 48 hours towards the end of August.
The report by Footmercato states that although Fofana had been on the shortlist of various Premier League clubs including Everton, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Chelsea throughout the summer window, United pushed behind the scenes to 'snatch' the Lyon winger in the final two days of the transfer window.
Report: Cunha Injury Saw Man Utd 'Aim for Fofana Snatch'
Malick Fofana in action for Lyon
Alejandro Garnacho departing for Chelsea, alongside Matheus Cunha's hamstring injury that he picked up two days before the deadline against Burnley in the Premier League, meant that United chiefs were looking for another name to drop in to one of Amorim's 'No.10' roles.
Fofana cropped up onto their radar, and superagent representative Jorge Mendes was in the middle of talks between the Red Devils and Fofana. United tried their luck, and although the 'rapid' winger was tempted by a move to Old Trafford, United were waiting for a signal from the player's father to start negotiations. However, that signal never came, and it has cemented Fofana's future at the Ligue 1 outfit.
Fofana joined Lyon midway through the 2023/24 campaign from Belgian side Gent, and immediately made an impact with four goals in 21 games for the Groupama Stadium in his first half of the campaign. Last season was even better, with 11 goals in 41 outings for the club as they scraped a place in sixth on goal difference, thus giving them a place in next season's Europa League campaign, with Fofana being a huge part of that.
United will have taken his performances in during their eventual run to the Europa League final, with Fofana featuring in an enthralling third leg at Old Trafford, with United winning 5-4 after extra time, registering an assist for Alexandre Lacazette to make it 6-4 on aggregate to the French outfit, before United scored three goals in seven minutes to advance to the semi-finals.
However, he will remain in France until January at the earliest, where United could return in January if Cunha's injury woes persist. Cunha impressed for Wolverhampton Wanderers last season, and will get the chance to earn his spot, though Fofana's arrival could have ousted him from the starting XI after just three games.
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