Malick Fofana was offered to Arsenal late in the summer transfer window (Picture: Getty) Arsenal did not pursue a deadline-day deal for Malick Fofana after Mikel Arteta raised concerns about the Lyon winger, according to reports. The Belgium international emerged as a target late in the window as Arsenal considered strengthening their forward line following a number of high-profile snubs. Deals for Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior failed to materialise, with Christos Tzolis the only arrival to replace Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli. The Gunners had been holding out hope of a late deal for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, but the Argentine indicated he wasn’t keen on a Premier League return. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. However, Arsenal almost sprang into action on deadline day after they were offered the chance to sign Fofana as Lyon looked to raise funds after missing out on the Champions League. The 21-year-old has previously attracted interest from Liverpool and Chelsea, and was available for around £30million, a similar fee to that which Arsenal paid to bring Tzolis to the Emirates earlier in the summer. However, The Athletic reports that Arsenal were only willing to pursue a loan deal to avoid the possibility of breaching UEFA’s spending limits. Malick Fofana ultimately joined Sunderland (Picture: Getty) It is also said that Arteta spoke with Fofana, but held concerns about the winger’s ability to adapt to the physical demands of the Premier League. Despite Arsenal’s decision, Fofana did ultimately end up in the English top-flight after a remarkable transfer tussle between Sunderland and Crystal Palace. The Black Cats struck a deal first for the winger before Palace looked to hijack the transfer after agreeing a similar deal with Lyon. Mikel Arteta raised concerns about the Belgian winger (Picture: PA) Ultimately, Sunderland rescued their deal by offering more commission to the Belgian’s agents, with a five-year deal agreed for the pacey winger. ‘Malick has all the attributes to thrive in the Premier League,’ Sunderland’s Director of Football Florent Ghisolfi said. ‘He is a player with huge potential and Sunderland AFC will provide him with the right environment to continue to develop and prosper. ‘He operates off the left and will complement the versatility of the other wide men we have at the club, who can play across both flanks. ‘We are delighted to welcome Malick to the Club and look forward to supporting him as he takes the next steps in his career.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Manchester City’s new signing Enzo Fernandez has spoken out on his relief to be reunited with his former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca. The Argentina international has been officially unveiled by Man City today after a deal with Chelsea was agreed yesterday, and it sees him link up with Maresca for a second time in his […] The post Enzo Fernandez sends pointed message to Chelsea as he discusses Manchester City transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Manchester City have agreed to make Fernandez the joint-most expensive signing in British football history, but the £125m midfielder can appear petulant, selfish and undisciplined, writes Richard Jolly, and presents problems that are tactical and financial
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