Fofana seals £30m Sunderland move after Arteta's fitness doubts blocked Arsenal deal

Malick Fofana completed a £30m move from Lyon to Sunderland on transfer deadline day, with the Belgian winger revealing he believes the club can achieve “something special” — after Arsenal’s interest collapsed over fitness concerns raised by Mikel Arteta.

Fofana had been offered to Arsenal last week as the Gunners scrambled for attacking reinforcements following the sales of Gabriel Jesus to Barcelona and Gabriel Martinelli to Al-Hilal. With primary target Julián Álvarez unlikely to leave Atlético Madrid, Arsenal gave serious consideration to the 21-year-old. Arteta held direct talks with Fofana, but according to The Athletic, the Arsenal manager harboured doubts about the winger’s readiness for the physical demands of the Premier League. The club also preferred a loan arrangement rather than a permanent deal, and there was no internal consensus over the signing.

With Arsenal out of the picture, Crystal Palace entered the race, and boss Pierre Sage was keen to land Fofana. The winger, however, turned down a late hijack attempt from Palace to join Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris’ side — a club he says convinced him with the strength of their pursuit.

“I spoke with a lot of people before coming here and they gave me the feeling they really wanted me,” Fofana told the Sunderland club website. “It’s been a busy 48 hours, but I can’t wait to get going. I’ve already played in the Europa League and I hope I can bring that experience here.”

Fofana, who will now compete in the Europa League with Sunderland, added: “The Premier League is a new experience for me, so I hope it’s a great season. I know with this squad we can do something special.”

For Arsenal, the decision to pass on Fofana was eased by the arrival of Christos Tzolis, who came in to replace the departing Leandro Trossard. Arteta’s summer business also included Bruno Guimarães, Ezri Konsa, Illan Meslier, and Piero Hincapié, with the manager repeatedly emphasising the importance of squad balance in his transfer approach.

“There are areas that we have to improve to hit those numbers,” Arteta said. “And if it’s not with sales, because maybe we don’t want — we have to sell what we want to sell as well, not just to sell.”