What happened with Arsenal target Malick Fofana?

Malick Fofana ended up joining Sunderland on transfer deadline day, after a whirlwind 24 hours during which he looked set to join three different clubs.

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Following links with Arsenal on August 31st, Malick Fofana’s proposed transfer exit from Lyon sparked a chaotic deadline day of confusion.

What was clear all day was that Arsenal weren’t going to be signing the player. By early morning, it became apparent the Gunners had opted against the transfer.

James McNicholas reports for The Athletic that though Andrea Berta prompted the club’s decision to explore a deal, Arsenal only wanted to offer an initial loan move, and Mikel Arteta had concerns over Fofana’s ability to handle the Premier League’s physicality.

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With Arsenal withdrawing, Sunderland agreed a £30m deal for Fofana, but that was far from the end of the story.

Crystal Palace made contact with Fofana directly to try and hijack the deal, and they also agreed a fee with Lyon.

The player then spent hours at a Lyon airport going back and forth on his decision between the two clubs, before Sky Sports report that he effectively underwent a medical for both.

Not long before the deadline, Fofana finally gave Sunderland the green light to proceed with that deal, and the club announced it shortly after midnight.

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For what it’s worth, Lyon made a very minor profit from the back and forth negotiations, increasing their deal with Sunderland from an initial £25.7m + £4.3m fee to an eventual £25.7m + £5.14m fee.

Perhaps they could have pushed for even more if Arsenal had remained in the running, but Fofana will now kickstart his Premier League career in the north-east.

Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images