Chelsea Are Still Keen On Signing This Ligue 1 Winger: Should Maresca Snap Him Up? | OneFootball

In a recent post on X, respected journalist Fabrizio Romano mentioned that Chelsea are still keen on signing Olympique Lyonnais winger Malick Fofana. It has been revealed that the Blues are facing competition from Nottingham Forest, Bayern Munich and Napoli in the race to land the Belgian wide player.

Fofana’s Impressive Rise In French Football

Fofana caught the eye at times with his performances on the left side of Lyon’s attack in the previous campaign. The Belgian wide player made 41 appearances for the French outfit last season, finding the back of the net 11 times and picking up six assists in multiple competitions.

The 20-year-old proved his worth on the left flank and deserves a lot of credit for averaging 1.76 shots per 90 minutes in the Ligue 1. He kept 48.4% of his attempts on target. Fofana even distributed possession relatively well after making 77.4% of his attempted passes in the French first division (stats via fbref.com).

His current contract at the French club will run out in the summer of 2028 which could make it tough for Chelsea to land him on the cheap this off-season.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – JANUARY 23: Malick Fofana of Olympique Lyonnais controls the ball during the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 League Phase MD7 match between Fenerbahce SK and Olympique Lyonnais at on January 23, 2025 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)

Should Chelsea Boss Enzo Maresca Snap Fofana Up This Summer?

Fofana can use his pace well to make some dangerous runs with the ball out on the flanks. He has got the vision to create a few promising chances on the offensive end of the field and can shoot the ball with power from long range.

The French sensation mainly functions as a left-winger but can also perform as a right-sided wide player or play as a centre-forward if told to do so by his manager. He is undoubtedly a star in the making but is still quite inexperienced at the highest level.

We can expect Fofana to bring more firepower to Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca’s frontline. He has already shown glimpses of what he can do in French football. However, Fofana would need some time to adjust to the physical side and high intensity of the Premier League.

At 20, the French prospect has the ceiling to be a future star in European football. Therefore, it is only logical for the Blues to try and snap him up in this summer transfer window.