Everton Facing Setbacks in Pursuit of Champions League-Driven Malick Fofana

Everton are still waiting for a final decision from young winger Malick Fofana, but the Lyon starlet has made it clear his main goal is to play Champions League football, leaving the Premier League club’s hopes uncertain. As reported previously, Fofana has not agreed to join Nottingham Forest, as he is focused on offers from top clubs such as Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Napoli.

MALICK FOFANA SITUATION

Everton have shown strong interest in signing Malick Fofana as part of their plans to rebuild the attack for the new season. Fofana impressed last year for Lyon, scoring 11 goals and assisting 6 in 41 matches across all competitions, as noted in recent statistics. However, sources close to the player confirm that he does not want to join Everton at this stage, as he is focused on joining a club competing in the UEFA Champions League. Reports also indicate that Champions League clubs are waiting for squad moves before stepping forward for the player, making Everton’s pursuit a challenging one at present.

EVERTON EXPLORE OTHER ATTACKING OPTIONS

While the Merseyside club waits for Fofana’s decision, management have also made inquiries about Assane Diao and Takefusa Kubo. Everton already had a bid turned down for Diao, now at Como, earlier in the summer. The club’s efforts reflect a wider push to refresh their attacking line following a difficult Premier League campaign in 2024/25, where Everton finished in 13th place with 48 points from 38 matches. Their first league match of the 2025/26 season is against Leeds United on August 17, a crucial game as they seek to improve following last season’s struggles.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Fofana is expected to wait for offers from Champions League clubs, given his strong season for Lyon. Lyon, having finished sixth in Ligue 1, narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification themselves and now face the risk of losing one of their brightest young stars. Meanwhile, Everton must respond quickly, either by increasing their offer or focusing efforts on other targets like Kubo, who enjoyed a breakout campaign with Real Sociedad. Everton supporters will be looking for news as the transfer deadline approaches, hoping for the arrival of a player who can change the club’s fortunes after a challenging year.