Arsenal have wrapped up a deal for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze and are eyeing Lyon ace Malick Fofana next, with a report revealing how much the winger might cost after Liverpool cooled their own interest.
Tottenham Hotspur had been in advanced talks to sign Eze but Arsenal swooped in for the England international following news of Kai Havertz’s injury. Havertz is expected to be out for several weeks after suffering a knee injury, with his exact return date unclear at this stage.
Tottenham were planning a medical for Eze but they were left stunned when Arsenal thundered in with a bid worth over £60million, which was accepted by Palace.
Eze will undergo his medical today (Friday) before being officially announced as Arsenal’s latest signing.
The attacking midfielder will be delighted at the move as he supported Arsenal growing up and was left devastated when they released him from their academy at the age of 13.
Eze will help to replace Havertz and strengthen Mikel Arteta’s attacking options. He is one of the best playmakers in the Premier League and can thrive as either a No 10 or left winger.
According to French outlet L’Equipe, Lyon’s Fofana is next on Arsenal’s wish list.
The Gunners hold firm interest in Fofana and are keeping a close eye on his situation.
Lyon need to raise around €40m (£35m) to improve their finances and that is how much Fofana could be sold for.
Arsenal have scouted the Belgian winger on numerous occasions and are reportedly considering a late splash to bring him to the Premier League before the transfer deadline on September 1.
L’Equipe add that Bayern Munich are also tracking Fofana and could provide Arsenal with competition for his services.
Liverpool have expressed interest in Fofana too, identifying him as a possible replacement for Luis Diaz.
But it emerged on Wednesday that Liverpool are now ‘unlikely’ to move for the 20-year-old, giving Arsenal a clear run.
Everton, meanwhile, had a £31.5m bid rejected for Fofana earlier in the window.
They were willing to go higher with a second offer, but the winger wanted to wait and see if a Champions League club came in for him, prompting the Toffees to look at other options.
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Malick Fofana could be next Arsenal signing
Arsenal want to sign Fofana to provide Gabriel Martinelli with competition on the left flank, a job Eze is also capable of doing.
Arteta has played a key role in Martinelli’s development but knows the Brazilian could be more efficient in front of goal.
Rodrygo is understood to be Arteta’s dream target for the position, but he will cost far more than Fofana to land. Indeed, Real Madrid want €100m (£86.5m) to sell.
Rodrygo has also been linked with Liverpool and Tottenham as he searches for a way out of Madrid.
Arsenal have signed six players so far this summer, with Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera and Viktor Gyokeres all arriving at the Emirates.
Eze is due to become their seventh new signing and Fofana could be next.
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Who is Malick Fofana?
By Samuel Bannister
Born in the Belgian city of Aalst in 2005, 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 11 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 ranked in the 97th percentile for Ligue 1 wingers and attacking midfielders with the most progressive carries per 90 minutes last season with 6.34.
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.