Arsenal Miss Out on Malick Fofana as Sunderland Seals Deal

Arsenal’s late push for attacking reinforcements has been dealt a major blow, with Malick Fofana set for a shock move to Sunderland after the Gunners refused to meet Lyon’s demands.

Mikel Arteta’s side opened talks with the Ligue 1 club on Monday, having identified the 21-year-old as a key option to bolster their wide areas. Fofana was open to the switch, with reports that he even held discussions with Arteta as Arsenal weighed up their next move.

Then the numbers got in the way.

Lyon wanted around €40 million. According to Santi Aouna and David Ornstein, Arsenal drew a line there and walked away from the fee. That hesitation opened the door for a Premier League rival to pounce.

Sunderland moved fast. Very fast.

The north-east club have agreed a €30 million deal with Lyon, plus add-ons that could push the final package closer to the French side’s original asking price. While Arsenal argued over valuation, Sunderland effectively matched the structure Lyon were looking for and closed in on a deal.

Fofana, who had already attracted strong interest earlier in the summer, is now due to fly to the north east for a medical ahead of completing the move. It’s a twist that stings Arsenal all the more because they were not the first club to be turned down.

Crystal Palace had been in advanced talks with Lyon earlier in the window and were close to an agreement, but the winger did not want a move to Selhurst Park. A switch to north London appealed far more, only for the finances to prove decisive.

Arsenal's Current Situation

For Arsenal, the timing could hardly be worse.

Arteta’s squad is already light on the left flank after sanctioning the departures of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli this summer. Those exits were made with an eye on refreshing the attacking options, but the plan depended on at least one significant arrival out wide.

That signing now looks unlikely to be Fofana.

The club have added Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge earlier in the window, a move designed to give Arteta another option in the wide areas. Yet the loss of two established forwards means the margin for error is slim, especially across a long season.

Depth is being tested further by Ethan Nwaneri’s situation. The highly rated youngster is set to undergo a medical at Borussia Dortmund ahead of a loan move, another indication that Arsenal are willing to let a promising attacking talent leave temporarily in search of minutes.

So Arsenal head into the final hours of the window still searching for the winger they wanted, watching a target they courted head instead to a Sunderland side that simply moved quicker and paid closer to the price.

The question now is stark: with the left flank stripped back and the market closing, can Arsenal afford another misstep?