Malick Fofana: Fonseca says Lyon don't want to sell
Lyon boss Paulo Fonseca says the club does not want to sell Malick Fofana, insisting OL have already rejected several offers for the Belgian forward. Roma remain interested at a fee above €35m, but Fonseca’s stance clashes with reports that Lyon’s Champions League exit may still force a summer sale.
Key Takeaways
- Paulo Fonseca says Lyon are “not worried” about selling Malick Fofana and have rejected several offers.
- Roma are linked at a fee slightly above €35 million, with Fofana open to a move if the clubs agree.
- Reporting citing L’Équipe says keeping Fofana after Lyon’s Champions League exit looks virtually impossible.
- Lyon had hoped for around €50m next summer; urgency after missing the Champions League may lower that figure.
- OL may need about €100m in player sales after exiting Champions League qualifying against Fenerbahçe.
What did Paulo Fonseca say about Malick Fofana?
Speaking ahead of Lyon’s Champions League playoff return leg, Fonseca pushed back on exit talk around Malick Fofana. “We’re not worried about selling Malick. If we wanted to sell him now, we’d already have offers,” he said, according to OneFootball.
The Portuguese coach added that the club has rejected several offers because it strongly believes in the player’s qualities and market value. That message matters for fans tracking whether Lyon will cash in during a pressured window.
Why could Malick Fofana still leave Lyon this summer?
Despite Fonseca’s public line, Get French Football News reported—citing L’Équipe—that it is virtually impossible for Lyon to keep the 21-year-old Belgian international after failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
Fofana had wanted to stay and play in Europe’s elite competition. With that path closed and Lyon under financial pressure, a transfer before the window closes now looks inevitable in that reporting. For broader market and club-finance alerts, see BlasterPost’s Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub.
Separate reporting says Lyon may need to raise around €100m from player sales after being eliminated in the final Champions League qualifying round by Fenerbahçe.
How much could a Malick Fofana transfer cost?
Roma are among the clubs linked. OneFootball reported that if the Giallorossi want Fofana, they would need to pay a fee slightly higher than €35 million. The decision sits with Roma’s owners, the Friedkins: Fofana has given general approval and would be happy to move to Rome, but a club-to-club agreement was still pending at the time of that report.
Lyon had been planning a possible exit for next summer and hoped a strong season could push his value toward €50m. Missing the Champions League weakens that bargaining position, and a lower fee is now considered more likely. Liverpool and Bayern Munich have previously shown interest in the forward.
Bottom line: Fonseca insists Lyon do not want to sell Malick Fofana, yet the club’s post-Champions League finances and Roma’s pursuit leave the door open to a late-window deal.