One of the most promising young wingers has confirmed that Liverpool showed genuine interest in him during the summer transfer window.
Back in June, L’Equipe reported that Liverpool were in discussions with the representatives of Lyon winger Malick Fofana, whom the Ligue 1 club valued at around €50 million (£43.4 million). These talks reportedly continued into July before fading recently. Despite widespread speculation, the 20-year-old remains at Lyon’s Groupama Stadium for now and revealed he seriously considered offers from two Premier League clubs.
Fofana addresses Liverpool’s interest
In an interview with Belgian outlet Het Belang van Limburg (via Sport Witness), Fofana confirmed that both Liverpool and Chelsea expressed interest during the off-season. However, he believes that staying at Lyon is better for his development at this stage.
He said: “Both clubs were interested, but nothing concrete materialized. I did think about a move, but right now, it’s more important for me to get regular playing time, which I can do at Lyon. I still have room to grow.”
Is Fofana a future option for Liverpool?
The Belgian international is seen as a highly talented prospect. Emilio Ferrara, his former under-21 coach at Genk, described him as “the greatest talent I have ever coached.” So far, Fofana has scored 16 goals in 65 appearances for Lyon.
He has impressed particularly with his dribbling, averaging 6.58 progressive carries per 90 minutes—ranking him in the top 2% of players in his position across Europe’s five major leagues over the past year (according to FBref).
However, competition for attacking spots at Liverpool is fierce. With Cody Gakpo firmly established on the left wing and Rio Ngumoha pushing for a place, Fofana would have been more of a luxury signing than a necessity.
Paul Joyce recently revealed that Liverpool’s management opted not to pursue the Lyon forward because they wanted to preserve a clear path into the first team for 17-year-old Ngumoha. This decision appears justified, given Ngumoha’s impressive performances, including a standout display against Newcastle last month.
While Richard Hughes might revisit the idea of signing Fofana in the future, for now, all sides seem content to keep things as they are.
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