Sunderland and Crystal Palace became locked in a remarkable deadline-day battle for Malick Fofana, which ended with the winger choosing a club-record £31m transfer from Lyon to the Stadium of Light.
Early on Tuesday, the 21-year-old Belgian appeared ready to sign a five-year deal with Sunderland. However, Pierre Sage then tried to redirect the transfer. The Palace manager had previously coached Fofana at Lyon and developed a close relationship with him, making him eager to bring the player to Selhurst Park. Following a phone conversation with Sage, Fofana reportedly reconsidered and showed interest in joining his former coach in south London, but Sunderland remained determined to complete the signing.
Lyon consequently found themselves at the centre of a bidding contest and accepted improved proposals from both teams. Fofana’s salary demands and the payments due to his representatives were also believed to have increased. At the same time, two private aircraft—one arranged by Sunderland and another by Palace—were waiting at Lyon airport.
Reports initially suggested that Fofana had boarded Sunderland’s aircraft for a journey to Newcastle airport. Instead, he travelled to a private French hospital for a medical examination jointly organised by the two English clubs. With the deadline approaching, both sides agreed that the unusual solution offered the best chance of bringing the player, who had also attracted Arsenal’s interest for much of the transfer window, to England.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, Sunderland’s owner, travelled to Lyon and held a private discussion with Fofana in an effort to renew the player’s enthusiasm for working under Régis Le Bris on Wearside. The intervention proved decisive. Shortly after 9pm, the winger confirmed his decision and announced that he would proceed with the move to the Stadium of Light.
The transfer begins with a £26m payment, while performance-related additions could increase the total cost to £31m. The five-cap Belgium international is therefore set to become Sunderland’s most expensive signing, surpassing the £30m spent on midfielder Habib Diarra from Strasbourg last summer. Sunderland have filed the required deal sheet and expect the remaining formalities to be completed soon.
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