Palace and Sunderland battle for Fofana on deadline day

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 16:58 · Archive

Crystal Palace and Sunderland competed to sign Belgian winger Malick Fofana on the transfer deadline.

Crystal Palace and Sunderland competed intensely to sign Belgian winger Malick Fofana on the transfer deadline, with two private jets waiting at Lyon Airport as the saga unfolded. Sunderland had struck a £30million agreement with Lyon, but Palace identified an opening when Fofana had not yet completed his medical examination.

Palace possessed a significant advantage through manager Pierre Sage, who had previously worked with the 21-year-old at Lyon. Sage made a direct call to convince Fofana of Crystal Palace's project, and the club improved their financial terms and increased their bid. Sunderland responded by having owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus fly directly to Lyon to match Palace's offer, while also adjusting the representative commissions on the deal.

The transfer represented a dramatic conclusion to the summer window, with both clubs willing to go to extraordinary lengths to secure the young winger's signature.

How it is being reported

• Lyon v Crystal Palace, Torreense v Sunderland, and more: Europa League – live⚽ Europa League updates from the 5.45pm BST kick-offs ⚽ Live scoreboard | Read Football Daily | Email Michael Pierre Sage is something of a Lyon man , a Lyonnais if you will. He was born an hour and a half away, played his entire amateur career on the outskirts of the city before starting his coaching journey at semi-pro side Lyon-Duchère, progressing to being a youth coach at Olympique Lyonnais in 2019. From there, via a stint as assistant manager at Paris side Red Star, he rose up through the ranks, eventually replacing Fabio Grosso as head coach in November 2023, leading Lyon to Europa…The Guardian · 15 Oct, 16:30
• Crystal Palace: The inside story of fascinating transfer saga as Pierre Sage has clear mission on Lyon returnCrystal Palace have already left Lyon empty-handed once this seasonEvening Standard · 15 Oct, 07:30

In this story: Crystal Palace · Sunderland · Malick Fofana · Pierre Sage · Lyon · Kyril Louis-Dreyfus

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