Malick Fofana stalling Everton move amid interest from Champions League sides | OneFootball

Olympique Lyon winger Malick Fofana is stalling on a move to Everton as he holds out for opportunities to join a Champions League club, according to Sacha Tavolieri.

Everton have reportedly had a bid in the region of €36 million rejected by Lyon, who are holding out for at least €40 million, but the Toffees are not giving up their pursuit.

However, Fofana is not keen to move to the blue half of Merseyside at the moment given the flurry of transfer interest across Europe in the 20-year-old.

Lyon would ideally like to keep Fofana but currently have their hands tied by a financial cul-de-sac, which has already seen key departures this summer.

Fofana is eager to feature in Europe’s premier club competition and is prepared to wait for bigger offers, with some of the clubs eyeing a move for him having to make space in their squads before making formal bids.

Earlier this summer, Nottingham Forest were believed to have reached an agreement with Lyon for Fofana, but the Belgian turned down the move due to a lack of Champions League football.

With UCL football on offer, Chelsea took a look at Fofana last month, although they have since signed Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and are also nearing a swoop for Xavi Simons.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have also been linked with a move for Fofana and could accelerate their interest as they close in on agreeing a deal with Bayern Munich, another of Fofana’s reported suitors, for Luis Diaz.