Arsenal eye Malick Fofana as Chelsea lose grip on £50m price

Arsenal have signalled a serious interest in Lyon’s winger Malick Fofana as the summer window closes on Tuesday night, hoping to replace the departing Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli. The Gunners, fresh from a bright Premier League start, see the Belgium international as a £50 million solution to their left‑wing gap.

Picture: Getty. The image shows Fofana in Lyon colours, underlining the club’s willingness to negotiate.

Why the Gunners need a new winger

Mikel Arteta is keen to bolster his title‑winning squad with one more attacking signing before the deadline. Arsenal have already added Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa and Christos Tzolis this summer, with Tzolis impressing on the left wing but Arteta still hunting a player who can fill the void left by the sales of Trossard and Martinelli.

Arteta told reporters after a 1‑0 win at Aston Villa that the club will "try to improve the squad until tomorrow night" and that he has been "disconnected from the world for 24 hours" to focus on the match, signalling the urgency of the move.

Price tag and Lyon’s motivation

Intermediaries have offered the Belgium international to Arsenal for around £50 million, a figure Lyon need to raise after failing to qualify for the Champions League. The club has been forced to sell players, and the cash from Fofana would help balance their books before the window shuts.

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European football journalist Andy Brassell said, "Straight off, ever since Lyon have been eliminated from the Champions League play‑offs, they’ve had a lot of players on the block," and added, "They are not just willing to sell, they need to sell, and they need to make around €50million, before the window shuts."

Last summer Fofana was linked with Chelsea, Liverpool, Fulham and Nottingham Forest, while Hull City made an approach that was politely rejected. He has also been linked with Roma, Leipzig and French clubs, underscoring the competition Arsenal face.

Arsenal are now considering an official bid after intermediaries presented the offer, and reports claim Fofana has already spoken to Arteta and is excited about the prospect of joining the Premier League champions.

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Should the deal go through, the Gunners will add a player who was clocked as the fastest in Ligue 1 before a serious ankle injury sidelined him for most of last season. Arteta believes Fofana can add more goals, bring speed up the pitch and raise the ceiling of Arsenal’s attacking options.