Why Arsenal pulled out of the running for Fofana

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Why Arsenal pulled out of the running for Fofana

Why Arsenal pulled out of the running for Fofana

Fri, Sep 4, 2026 ·

3 min read

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Arsenal wanted to sign Malick Fofana on deadline day and were the first club to show interest in the Belgian before a tug-of-war developed between Crystal Palace and Sunderland .

Fofana is a fine player who has done well during his time in Lyon, making him one of the players Arsenal believed could perform well for their team. The Gunners saw him as an ideal addition and contacted Lyon about a late move as they looked for another option before the window closed.

However, their interest soon cooled, with Arsenal reportedly unwilling to proceed unless Lyon reduced their asking price for the attacker. The Frenchmen continued to shop Fofana around, eventually leading to his move to Sunderland after some deadline day drama involving a hijacking attempt from Crystal Palace.

Arsenal reconsider Fofana move

The 21-year-old would have loved to move to Arsenal, particularly considering the level of the other teams showing interest in him. However, the Gunners eventually pulled out of the running, leaving Sunderland to complete the deal.

According to Football365 , one reason Arsenal were no longer keen to add Fofana to their squad was that Mikel Arteta did not believe the attacker was strong enough for the Premier League.

The Gunners boss has doubts about whether Fofana would adapt quickly enough after joining the club. Those concerns also influenced Arsenal's view of Lyon's asking price, with Arteta believing the French side wanted too much for a player who could need time to adjust.

Malick Fofana (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Arteta had concerns

Arsenal were initially attracted to Fofana because of what he had shown in Lyon, but their assessment changed as they considered the demands of the Premier League. The Gunners were therefore unwilling to meet Lyon's valuation while carrying doubts about how quickly he could adapt.

Fofana's eventual move to Sunderland came after Crystal Palace attempted to hijack the deal, adding further drama to his deadline day transfer. The Belgian ultimately joined Sunderland rather than Arsenal, despite the Gunners being among the first clubs to show interest.

For Arsenal, the decision reflects their reluctance to spend heavily on a player when there are concerns over immediate adaptation. Arteta wanted to ensure any late addition could make an impact, and those doubts contributed to the Gunners ending their pursuit of Fofana.

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