Aston Villa and Tottenham have made initial moves for Youssouf Fofana, who is now attracting attention from Everton.
The Frenchman was one of AC Milan’s better players last season. It was a campaign mired in instability but Fofana showed his ability to carry the ball forward.
There was hope he would grow into a better player this season but that hasn’t quite happened. Instead, Fofana has attracted criticism largely for not being the most defensive minded player in midfield.
Sport Witness have covered Milan’s attempts to sell him in the summer. This attracted interest from Aston Villa and Tottenham, who made initial contact for the France international.
Now, Everton are also in the mix to land him.
Everton handed transfer chance
Daniele Longo looks at possible exits from Milan and Fofana is a major candidate to depart.
Allegri, despite seeing the ex-Monaco man struggle, would ideally want to keep him. But he wouldn’t stand against an exit either.
Over €25m si considered acceptable for a permanent deal. Everton would face competition from Galatasaray, Lyon and Marseille, with the valuation for the player clear.
It has been previously mentioned that Fofana wouldn’t be keen on a move to Turkey. He sees England as the best destination and agents are at work to find a new club.
Our take: Bargain deal can prove important
Fofana’s weaknesses as a player have been rather exposed this season. Allegri’s setup relies more on players covering ground, sitting in shape and then breaking on the counter attack. That isn’t Fofana’s strength, who needs the ball at his feet to make an impact.
That is why he needs a change of scenery, desperately. For Everton, €25m can actually be a bargain.
The 27-year-old has played for the national team many times and can start for a lot of European clubs right now. If the opportunity lingers, the Toffees should try to execute a deal especially before the World Cup comes around.