Arsenal have agreed with a winger valued at £34m after making an offer.
According to reports, Arsenal have agreed personal terms with the exciting young player Malick Fofana as they look to add another attacker before the transfer deadline on Tuesday.
Fofana, who was recently linked with a move to newly-promoted Hull City, seems likely to leave Ligue 1 club Lyon before the window closes. The 21-year-old Belgian has only made 16 appearances this season due to an ankle injury that kept him out for almost six months. However, he’s started this campaign well, scoring two goals in his last two games.
Many clubs are interested in Fofana, including Inter Milan and Roma, but he and his agent seem to be saving their decision for Arsenal, according to journalist Yağız Sabuncuoğlu. He shared that Arsenal and Fofana have agreed on all personal terms, and the player’s side is pushing Lyon to accept Arsenal’s offer.
Football Transfers also reported that Fofana is keen on joining Arsenal, though talks are stalled because of a price disagreement. Lyon want €40 million (£34.2m), but Arsenal are willing to pay less as they look to replace Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, who are expected to leave on deadline day.
Lyon’s situation has been hurt by missing out on this season’s Champions League after losing to Fenerbahce. They need to raise around €100 million (£85m) from player sales soon, according to journalist Romain Molina.
Last summer, Liverpool showed strong interest in Fofana after Luis Diaz left, but the player decided to turn them down to focus on playing regularly. He told Belgian media HBVL that he wanted to make sure he gets plenty of game time at Lyon to keep improving, saying, “I still have progress to make. I’m more decisive and involved now, but I’ve still got a lot to prove.”