Sunderland have signed winger, Malick Fofana from Lyon for £29.9m.
Lyon had initially been in conversations with Arsenal but both clubs couldn’t agree a deal, which allowed Sunderland to make their deadline-day move with an offer worth £29.9m that involved an initial £25.6m fee, followed by a further £4.3m in add-ons for the 21-year-old winger.
Palace however hi-jacked Sunderland’s deal with Lyon by offering better conditions for both club and player, which led to frantic negotiations of which Fofana eventually settled on joining Sunderland.
Fofana has signed a long-term contract with Sunderland.
Sunderland’s Director of Football, Florent Ghisolfi explained to the club website that Fofana is a talented young player who can excel at the club.
“Malick has all the attributes to thrive in the Premier League.
“He is a player with huge potential and Sunderland AFC will provide him with the right environment to continue to develop and prosper.
“He operates off the left and will complement the versatility of the other wide men we have at the club, who can play across both flanks.
“We are delighted to welcome Malick to the Club and look forward to supporting him as he takes the next steps in his career.”
Fofana began his career at Eendracht Aalst in their youth academy before he moved to Gent in 2014 and graduated through their youth academy, which eventually saw him break into the first team in July 2022 and go on to score five goals in 64 appearances.
January 2024 saw Lyon sign Fofana and he proceeded to help them finish runner-up in that season’s Coupe de France as he netted four goals in 21 appearances across all competitions for the French club in that campaign.
The 2024-25 season saw him deliver 11 goals in 41 appearances before last season saw him limited to just two goals in 16 appearances, owing to a four-and-a-half month absence due to a serious ankle injury suffered mid-season.
He however has already rediscovered his form this season with two goals in five appearances.
At international level, Fofana represents Belgium with one goal in five senior caps since his debut in October 2024 in a 2-2 draw away to Italy in the UEFA Nations League, with his first goal having followed in September 2025 when he scored the last goal in a 6-0 away win over Liechtenstein in 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying.
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