France international opens door to Chelsea or Liverpool transfer

Robin Bairner

• 18 May 2023 13:28 BST
• 3 min read

Liverpool and Chelsea’s hunt for a midfielder has been boosted by news from France that Monaco star Youssouf Fofana could be open to a summer move.

A member of the national team squad that was beaten by Argentina in the World Cup final, Fofana has been associated with a potential summer transfer to the Premier League clubs for some weeks, with the Daily Mail suggesting the two giants are interested in a deal.

The 24-year-old has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €28 million, but Monaco are expected to ask for €40m for a player who has also caught the eye of Tottenham, West Ham and Newcastle ahead of the transfer window.

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For the Premier League sides, though, the good news is that Fofana certainly is not dismissing the possibility of a move.

“Monaco is a great club in France and Europe. A lot of big clubs come here to find players and we are all aware of this,” Fofana, who has a contract until June 2024, said in comments published by the Evening Standard. “Is this the right chance or the right time to leave? I can’t say.

“I have already played with top players but if one day I can play with more big names then it will be a pleasure and mean I have performed well.”

Fofana joined Monaco in 2019 from Strasbourg, with the principality side paying €15m for him.

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Where will Youssouf Fofana play next season?

Chelsea are believed to have the edge over Liverpool in the pursuit of Fofana due to the presence of former Monaco employee Laurence Stewart in the sporting management of the Stamford Bridge side. He is believed to be a big fan of the player.

PSG are also interested in the Parisian, whose dream it is to play at his hometown club. Nevertheless, a move to the Premier League looks most probable.

Fofana posts strong abilities across the spectrum of midfield qualities but boasts particularly strong technical abilities, with his dribbling and passing picked out by data analytics experts SciSports as his primary qualities.