Barcelona are reportedly keeping tabs on Lyon’s in-demand Malick Fofana as an alternative to making Marcus Rashford’s loan move permanent next summer.
The Belgium international was the darling of the transfer gossip columns throughout the most recent window after enjoying a breakout campaign in France’s top flight. The jet-heeled, jinking forward was widely touted to make a move to the Premier League, with Chelsea and Liverpool both vying for his signature, only to choose to stay at Lyon.
“There was interest from those two clubs, but ultimately it wasn’t concrete enough,” Fofana revealed to earlier this year. “I’ve thought about a transfer, but now I think it’s more important that I play a lot, and that has to happen at Lyon. Because I still have progress to make.”
Fofana’s upward trajectory has been temporarily halted by an ankle sprain which could keep him out for several months, yet the 20-year-old still remains on the radar of Europe’s elite.
Barcelona are the latest side to consider an approach for the left winger, per . The reigning Spanish champions have already reportedly engaged in negotiations with Fofana’s representatives and are thought to be confident of securing a cut-price deal for the forward given Lyon’s well-documented financial difficulties; the French club were almost relegated at the end of last season due to economic irregularities.
Money issues are never far from Barcelona themselves. The La Liga side are said to be keen on keeping Rashford but it remains to be seen whether they will have the necessary funds to make his loan from Manchester United permanent by triggering the €30 million (£26.1 million, $34.8 million) release clause in his contract.
