Al-Ahli attempting to sign Fofana from Milan after Locatelli and Zakaria rejection | OneFootball

Tuesday’s reports claim that Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli are attempting to sign France international Youssouf Fofana from Milan after having bids turned down for Juventus’s Manuel Locatelli and ex-Bianconeri midfielder Denis Zakaria.

Reports Al-Ahli sounding out move for Milan’s Fofana

According to reports from various outlets, including Calciomercato.com, Milan have been contacted by intermediaries, who are sounding out a possible move for Fofana on behalf of Al-Ahli.

The Saudi side have recently seen bids in the region of €25m turned down for both Locatelli and Zakaria, who are focused on the start of their respective league campaigns with Juventus and Monaco.

Tuesday’s report indicates that Al-Ahli are prepared to offer a similar fee (€25m) for Fofana, however, there are two main reasons why they are unlikely to strike a deal with Milan.

TURIN, ITALY – JANUARY 18: Andrea Cambiaso of Juventus runs with the ball under pressure from Youssouf of AC Milan during the Serie A match between Juventus and AC Milan at Allianz Stadium on January 18, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Firstly, Fofana is considered an important first-team player under Massimiliano Allegri, potentially a starter, and the Rossoneri would then be short on time and have little room in the budget to find a replacement before the end of the transfer window.

Secondly, Milan are in no particular need to sell any more players this summer, given that they have raised around €200m in player departures already this summer.

Fofana himself, meanwhile, has reportedly expressed a desire to stay and fight for titles in San Siro.