Fofana leaves Lyon for Crystal Palace for €37m, Sunderland beaten at the last minute

Malick Fofana is set to leave Olympique Lyonnais for Crystal Palace, according to reports from L’Équipe and RMC published on Tuesday. Lyon and the London club have agreed on a total fee of €37 million for the 20-year-old Belgian winger.

The deal took a dramatic turn. On Monday, Lyon had authorized Fofana to travel to Sunderland for a medical examination and to sign a contract. But the player, already in London, did not continue north to England: Crystal Palace entered the race and quickly gained the upper hand.

The key to the turnaround has a name: Pierre Sage. The former Lyon manager, who was coaching Lens last season before joining Crystal Palace, knows Fofana well from their time together in Ligue 1. According to RMC, Sage had already held a direct meeting with the player, a decisive advantage over Sunderland, whose coach Régis Le Bris is also French.

For Lyon, the need for liquidity is pressing. Eliminated in the preliminary round of the Ligue des Champions, the Rhône club does not have access to league phase revenues and must reduce its wage bill. The sale of Fofana, one of its most valued assets, fits into this forced cost-cutting logic.

If the transfer is confirmed, Fofana will join a Palace side in reconstruction under Sage, who is seeking to instill attacking football and is banking on technical players capable of beating their opponent one-on-one — exactly the area in which the Belgian international excels.