Tottenham Hotspur made an eleventh-hour enquiry to recruit Lyon star Malick Fofana as head coach Thomas Frank turned his attention towards bringing in additional creativity after luring Paris Saint-Germain frontman Randal Kolo Muani to Hotspur Way earlier on deadline day, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.
Spurs were not afraid to splash the cash on attacking reinforcements during the summer transfer window, with Mohammed Kudus' big-money move from West Ham United being followed by Xavi Simons completing a £51million switch from Bundesliga heavyweights RB Leipzig last week.
Kolo Muani has been tasked with providing Tottenham with additional firepower following his arrival on Monday, on a straight loan which does not include an option or obligation to buy, but the north Londoners missed out on adding another option out wide as they were unable to tie up a deal for Fofana.
Spurs Aimed to Seal Last-Minute Fofana Deal
Tottenham made a last-gasp attempt to sign Fofana after Kolo Muani, according to GMS sources, but Frank and members of the recruitment department were left frustrated as their approach was instantly turned down by Lyon due to the Ligue 1 outfit having limited time to secure an adequate replacement.
The left-sided winger had a price tag worth close to £52million earlier in the transfer window - after the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Bayern Munich, Leipzig and Napoli made contact - and it proved to be too late for Spurs to convince his current employers to cash in.
GMS sources have been informed that Tottenham entered talks over what it would take to land Fofana, who got his name on the scoresheet 11 times during the 2024/25 campaign, after making a flurry of calls to find a fresh creative influence just before the 7pm deadline on September 1.
But Lyon, who were in a strong negotiating position thanks to the Belgium international still having three years remaining on a contract which allows him to pocket in the region of £17,000-per-week, did not entertain the possibility of allowing him to join Spurs in the final stages of the summer transfer window.
Tottenham were confident that Fofana would be capable of giving the north Londoners an additional edge on the left flank as they prepare to compete in the Champions League, GMS sources have learned, resulting in them pinpointing him as a serious target before it became clear that they had waited too long to up the ante.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Malick Fofana won six ground duels and found the back of the net during Lyon's victory over Metz last month
Frank Refuses to Rule Out a Return for Fofana
GMS sources have been told that Tottenham will weigh up returning to the negotiating table for Fofana when the transfer window reopens in 2026, with Frank aiming to keep an eye on his progress at the same time as deliberating whether he needs another option in the final third of the pitch.
The 20-year-old wide forward, who has been described as 'explosive' by talent scout Ben Mattinson, will use the early stages of the campaign to continue proving his worth after he was deprived of the opportunity to embark on a fresh challenge thanks to Lyon having no interest in offloading him at the last minute.
Tottenham have refused to rule out the possibility of testing the French side's resolve with a formal bid for Fofana during the winter or at the end of the season, GMS sources understand, leading to there being a serious possibility that he will be included in the north Londoners' future recruitment plans.
GMS sources recently revealed that Spurs held face-to-face discussions with Manchester City in an attempt to gauge whether it would be possible to sign Nathan Ake ahead of Monday's 7pm cut-off point, but a switch failed to come to fruition and there were no defensive acquisitions on deadline day.
All statistics courtesy of Sofascore - correct as of 02/09/2025