It seemed like everything was done. It was. But Youssouf Fofana will not be joining Lyon after all. His return to France fell through at the last minute, despite an agreement already being reached between the clubs for a €2 million loan with a €12 million option to buy, and the contracts having already been signed. The Rossoneri club would have covered 50% of the Frenchman’s wages, as relayed via Milan Press.
Why the Fofana-Lyon deal fell through
Lyon were unable to register the former Monaco midfielder by the 8:00 p.m. deadline because they could not guarantee the financial cover needed to complete the deal until they had sold another Fofana, Malick, who was in talks with both Sunderland and Crystal Palace. The English transfer window closes at 11:00 p.m., meaning the two deals could have been completed independently in terms of timing.
The Turkish option remains open
The Frenchman player could still leave, as the transfer window remains open in other countries such as Turkiye, where Besiktas were particularly interested in the player. Should he decide not to accept the Turkish club’s approach, he will most likely spend the first half of the season in the stands as a player surplus to requirements.
