Malick Fofana celebrates with his Lyon teammates against Rangers in the Europa League | PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Imagesplaceholder image
Malick Fofana celebrates with his Lyon teammates against Rangers in the Europa League | PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images | AFP via Getty Images
Arsenal have enjoyed a smooth start to the 2025/26 season with thoughts already turning to the January transfer window.
Mikel Arteta will have two weeks to stew over his side dropping two points against a resilient Sunderland side with his usually robust defence showing a soft centre that hasn’t been seen all season. The Gunners boss will be looking forward to getting his injured players back on the other side of the international break with the return of Gabriel Jesus to training also a welcome sight. Beyond that, the January transfer window isn’t far away with Arsenal now facing a tough test to sign one of the summer targets.
Arsenal face fight to land Lyon winger Malick Fofana
According to Spanish outlet Sport, Lyon winger Malick Fofana is now one of the names that Barcelona are considering, if they don’t take up their option to buy on Marcus Rashford: “One of the options is the French one, where Malick Fofana, the 20-year-old winger from Olympique Lyonnais, stands out as the top target for Barcelona's scouts. Their reports highlight this young Belgian, whom the French club signed just over a year ago for €19.5 million (£17.1m) from Belgian side Gent, on a contract until June 2028.
“They have already spoken with his agents to ascertain the feasibility of the signing. The Lyon club's precarious financial situation is well known, a predicament that will likely force them to sell their star player this summer.”
Fofana has only scored two goals so far this season, but his future has been up in the air for sometime and the 20-year old can be forgiven for being more than a little distracted with clubs like Arsenal, Barcelona and Liverpool all chasing his signature. What makes the versatile winger appealing isn’t just his quality as a player, but the Ligue 1’s financial position that could see the player being sold below his market value.
What has Fofana said about moving to the Premier League?
It isn’t just Barcelona that could be stiff opposition, according to the player’s agent, Bobo Fofana, a move to the Premier League is a dream, but Arsenal wouldn’t be his preferred destination, via AfricaFoot: "The choice of heart would be Liverpool. He has the potential to enter the rotation, and above all, we would like to see him succeed African legends such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and El Hadji Diouf. Now, the choice of reason would be Newcastle, a well-structured club that could be a first step to gain experience before, perhaps, joining a club in the European top five.
"He has the profile to succeed in the Premier League. He possesses qualities similar to those of Manchester United's Amad Diallo, namely speed, impact, and the ability to create opportunities. There's no doubt he can make a splash. For him, this would be an opportunity to continue his development and, above all, to showcase his talent in a league that favours transitional play. However, he'll have to choose the right club, as competition is fierce across the Channel."
As with any in-demand player in this situation, whoever blinks first could be the team that benefits most.
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