Arsenal and Newcastle United are reportedly interested in Youssouf Fofana, who could cost £30 million from AS Monaco.
According to L’Equipe, Arsenal and Newcastle United are considering a move for Youssouf Fofana. The 24-year-old Frenchman remains on the list of the Premier League giants for different reasons, but at this stage, they may only consider him as a secondary option.
Youssouf Fofana has been a consistent presence for AS Monaco over the last season. He played 47 times across all competitions for the Ligue 1 side and featured in a deep midfield role. Either he sits at the base or complements the defensive midfielder in their system.
While Premier League sides scramble around for a midfielder of his profile, it’s only natural for teams to look at him. There were rumblings of interest from Liverpool and Chelsea earlier, but the duo have since looked at other targets.
Now, L’Equipe insists on Arsenal and Newcastle United’s interest in the 24-year-old Frenchman. They claim the Gunners are looking at Fofana as an alternative to Declan Rice if they cannot get a deal agreed with West Ham United for the England midfielder.
Arsenal had two bids rejected so far, with the latest offer amounting to £90 million. The Gunners are in line to make a third proposal in the next few days, which reports suggest could come close to West Ham’s valuation. It would make sense for Mikel Arteta to look at alternatives, but some are within the Premier League.
Moises Caicedo, for one, and Romeo Lavia have been credibly linked with Arsenal. The latter is more of a replacement for Thomas Partey if he departs, but the Brighton man could become Rice’s alternative for the Gunners. Moreover, with Fofana’s potential £30 million price tag, he might become a concrete target.
While it is clear why Arsenal would want Fofana, there are doubts over Newcastle United’s interest. They were in the market for a deep-lying midfielder, but they have since signed Sandro Tonali from AC Milan. Eddie Howe may not need another midfielder in that position, which negates this pursuit of the 24-year-old Frenchman.
The Magpies want an attacking midfielder as they continue chasing James Maddison. Hence, Newcastle’s interest in Fofana makes no sense unless they want to add more cover to the position.
Given they are reportedly operating on a fixed budget, it is difficult to see a chase materialising. As for Arsenal, they might consider Fofana as an option to add quality depth in a position they could lose two key players in Granit Xhaka and Partey.
