Youssouf Fofana is now understood to be ‘100% leaving Monaco this summer’ in pursuit of a fresh challenge.
The Liverpool-linked (Daily Mail) holding midfielder has yet to agree terms with another outfit ahead of the opening of the summer window, according to Fabrizio Romano.
“As reported yesterday, Youssouf Fofana is 100% leaving Monaco this summer. At the moment it’s a calm situation, nothing close or advanced with any club for Fofana from what I heard,” the Italian journalist wrote for the Daily Briefing.
“He just wants to try something new and Monaco don’t want to lose him for free in 2025, so both parties are keen on an exit for this summer.
“Let’s see who will enter the race as it’s still early, but in my opinion, he’s really perfect for English football, I can see him doing well in the Premier League…last summer, he was on Manchester United’s list.”
The Reds are thought to be keen on landing a No.6 should an appropriate opportunity arise.
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Meanwhile, Kostas Tsimikas (Greece), Diogo Jota (Portugal) and Wataru Endo (Japan) are set to play a part in tonight’s upcoming international fixtures.
READ MORE: What Ian Doyle has now heard about Liverpool and Goncalo Inacio
Who has been linked with Youssouf Fofana?
Manchester United were thought to be heavily interested in the 25-year-old’s services last summer.
In fact, Monaco’s sporting director, Thiago Scruro, admitted that the footballer turned down an approach from the Red Devils last year in order to better his development.
Premier League rivals Arsenal were likewise considered admirers and may be ones to watch now that Fofana has declared he wants a new challenge.
Is Youssouf Fofana good?
Let’s put it this way: Former teammate Cesc Fabregas felt the Frenchman would have been a good fit for Jurgen Klopp’s intense style of football.
“I would like to see (Youssouf) Fofana, (Sofiane) Diop or (Aurelien) Tchouameni at Bayern or Liverpool,” the former Arsenal star told RMC Sport back in 2022.
Last year we discussed the prospect of landing Fofana with EOTK Insider columnist Neil Jones who had likewise heard good things about the player from his native France.
Most intriguing of all to us here at Empire of the Kop is how the No.19 describes his roles with Monaco and Les Bleus.
What is Youssouf Fofana’s playing style?
Describing himself as a ‘versatile player’ for Monaco, the French international told ligue1.com: “In the past, while I’ve always had the freedom to push forward offensively, my primary focus was on defensive duties. However, under coach Hütter, things have changed: he emphasizes my involvement in offensive plays. He wants me to be present everywhere, contributing to finishing and initiating plays at times. This role fits me quite nicely.”
And for the national team: “Well, with the national team, my role is quite different compared to AS Monaco. It’s all about recovery for me there. I’m the one who puts in the hard work, you know (laughs). I patiently wait for my chance and make the most of my playing time. But I must admit, after spending several months playing in an offensive role at the club, transitioning to an offensive position with the national team feels more natural to me.”
Some intriguing statements from the reported Liverpool transfer target.
Certainly, we’d be sure to find his offensive skillset appealing in a similar sense to how Fabinho used to contribute to chance-creation and build-up.
However, we’d imagine at Liverpool the holding midfielder would be encouraged to favour more defensively-minded duties in the middle of the park.
This could yet be a sticking point for any suitor hoping to acquire his services this summer.
