Belgium international winger Malick Fofana is eager to join Liverpool and follow in the footsteps of Anfield heroes such as Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, his agent has revealed
Fofana is a 20-year-old forward who graduated from the Gent academy in 2022 and went on to play 64 times in their first team. The left-sided winger caught the attention of scouts from a host of top European clubs with his electric displays for Gent, and it was ultimately Lyon who won the race for his signature in January 2024.
Fofana, who likes to cut inside on his favoured right foot, has so far managed 15 goals and seven assists in 60 games for Lyon.
The youngster has stepped up this season and become a key player for the French club. Indeed, he notched six goals and two assists to help Lyon reach the Europa League quarter-finals.
Fofana missed the first leg of Lyon’s last-eight clash with Manchester United, though he came off the bench in the second half of the return leg at Old Trafford.
The one-cap Belgium international was crucial to Lyon coming back from 2-0 down to lead 4-2, causing United all sorts of problems with his trickery and winning a penalty for his side. United somehow completed a remarkable comeback, and Fofana was unlucky to be on the losing team.
Fofana has shown he can turn top defenders inside out and he is now being linked with a big transfer away from Ligue 1.
In an interview with Africa Foot (via Goal), the attacker’s agent, Bobo Fofana, has revealed a switch to Liverpool would be the dream. Though the representative did also suggest a move to Newcastle United could be on the cards.
“The choice of heart would be Liverpool,” he said. “He has the potential to enter the rotation, and above all, we would like to see him succeed African legends such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and El Hadji Diouf.
“Now, the choice of reason would be Newcastle, a well-structured club that could be a first step to gain experience before, perhaps, joining a club in the European top five.
“He has the profile to succeed in the Premier League. He possesses qualities similar to those of Manchester United’s Amad Diallo, namely speed, impact, and the ability to create opportunities. There’s no doubt he can make a splash.
“For him, this would be an opportunity to continue his development and, above all, to showcase his talent in a league that favors transitional play. However, he’ll have to choose the right club, as competition is fierce across the Channel.”
Liverpool could consider Malick Fofana bid
Whether Liverpool listen to Fofana’s agent and enter talks for his services remains to be seen. But if discussions over personal terms did start, then it would likely be a quick process given Fofana’s dream of starring at Anfield.
Fofana could be a great signing for Liverpool to future-proof their attack in preparation for Salah eventually retiring.
He is already a brilliant dribbler and his finishing should get even better as he heads towards his peak years.
Breaking the Lines’ scout report on Fofana from December 2024 labels him an ‘explosive winger’ who could eventually become ‘world-class’.
Liverpool could be in the market for a new left winger this summer too, as it is unclear whether they will be able to agree a new deal with Luis Diaz, while Diogo Jota’s future is also uncertain.
Fofana’s Lyon contract runs until June 2028, while his price tag has been provisionally set at €30-35million (up to £30m / $40m).
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Who is Malick Fofana?
By Samuel Bannister
Born in the Belgian city of Aalst in 2005, Malick Fofana spent eight years developing in the Gent academy and graduated to earn 64 appearances for the first team.
He earned his move to Lyon in January 2024 and his full international debut for Belgium followed that October.
Right-footed, he has mainly played on the left wing for Lyon, getting more consistent game time in a focused position than he did during his teenage years with Gent.
He has grown in terms of his goal threat too, reaching 10 for the 2024-25 season thanks majorly to his impact for Lyon in the Europa League.
OL’s faith in him is paying off. They paid a significant price to sign him when he was just 18 years old and they were looking over their shoulders in the Ligue 1 table.
It could be argued that OL took a risk buying Fofana. But the player himself is a risk taker. In an age of calculated tactics where anything that could lead to a loss of possession is discouraged, Fofana loves to take on opponents.
There are areas to add to his game, but the way he has improved his finishing is promising. And when you have the explosive pace that he possesses, opponents can sometimes be helpless.
Fofana ranks in the 98th percentile for Ligue 1 wingers and attacking midfielders with the most progressive carries per 90 minutes.
His boss Pierre Sage observed in December that Fofana recorded a ‘quite enormous’ 400 metres of sprinting in one game against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League.
Considering players from Europe’s top five leagues, FBref names Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho as the one Fofana is most stylistically similar to.