The £43m blockbuster Nottingham Forest transfer that can boost attacking threat – if Chelsea don’t hijack deal

Despite the fact that they ultimately missed out on Champions League football, these are rather exciting times to be a Nottingham Forest fan – and their work in the transfer market is beginning to underline that fact, judging by Tuesday’s reports which link them with a move for Lyon’s Malick Fofana.

Not only have they resisted attempts by Newcastle United to sign Anthony Elanga, but according to Fabrizio Romano, Forest have also agreed a deal with the 20-year-old winger’s club to sign one of France’s brightest talents. The only downside is that Fofana himself may be waiting for Chelsea or another European giant to make a move – but Forest should exercise all of their powers of persuasion to get this deal done.

Why Malick Fofana would be an ideal addition for Nottingham Forest

The 2024/25 season was Fofana’s breakthrough year, when he went from promising youngster to a staple of Lyon’s run to the Europa League semi-finals and towards European qualification in the league.

His departure, however, seems inevitable after Lyon were forcibly demoted to Ligue 2 over unpaid debts. Previous reports suggest that the French club are seeking a fee worth up to €50m (£43m) for Fofana. A steep price, perhaps, but one that his talent appears to justify.

A naturally left-footed left winger, Fofana seems like a perfect fit for Nuno Espirito Santo’s direct and aggressive brand of football. Blessed with an accurate cross, a confident finishing touch and a blistering turn of pace, he would perfectly suit any side looking for quick counter-attacking opportunities. That’s precisely what Nottingham Forest are.

A significant part of what makes Fofana so threatening is that he’s almost as dangerous cutting back inside on to his less favoured right foot as he is going outside of the full-back and attacking the byline. Many wingers present a greater concern going one way or the other, making them somewhat predictable. Fofana is cut from a different cloth.

His acceleration and accurate crossing on his left allow him to play like a traditional winger when there is space in behind the full-back, but he’s also got quick feet and while he may not yet be truly prolific – although 11 goals in 41 appearances and 23 starts is hardly shabby - the goals he has scored on his right foot when coming back towards the box suggest a player capable of scoring plenty. He did, after all, win his side’s goal of the season award for the thunderbolt finish shown in the social media post above.

There are areas in which he can improve, as one might expect from a 20-year-old, and in particular he could stand to improve the precision of his passing and his judgement when trying to take a defender on one-on-one – he has the technique to be lethal on the dribble, but currently succeeds when taking his man on a relatively modest 40.7% of the time.

But the relative weaknesses in his game are outweighed by his incisive play up front and his ability to use his pace to get into gaps between and behind defenders. Nottingham Forest play with the kind of urgency that would make Fofana an ideal addition, and one who may well develop into a truly first-class player. The question is whether they can persuade him to take a chance on them.

Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Napoli all present obstacles to a deal

The problem Forest have is that they aren’t alone in their interest. Romano reports that both Bayern Munich and Napoli have approached Lyon to make enquiries, and formal offers may follow. Chelsea, too, have been extensively linked with a deal, although it’s unclear as to whether they would want to sign Fofana in addition to Jamie Gittens and João Pedro. It may be that the Blues have made their moves down the left side.

Chelsea do need extensive reinforcements on that flank now, given that Jadon Sancho’s loan deal was not made permanent, Mykhaylo Mudryk is suspended for alleged use of a controlled substance and the club are shopping João Félix around – but between the purchase of Gittens and João Pedro and the presence of Pedro Neto, they may feel that they are already covered. Still, it wouldn’t be like Chelsea to turn down the chance to sign a promising young wide player.

It’s Bayern and Napoli, German and Italian champions respectively, who present the most immediate problem, however. Both clubs can offer Champions League football and have the weight of big names behind them. Normally, Nottingham Forest would simply be outgunned here. Which leaves Forest with two options if their continental rivals for Fofana’s signature do come in – either raise their bid sufficiently to push them out, or offer a combination of wages and likely first-team football that Fofana simply can’t refuse.

The former scenario is unlikely, and a bumper wage deal will depend on the club’s finances. They may finally be out of the woods when it comes to the PSR – for now, at least – but only the club know if they have the cash to put a truly lucrative package together. Europa Conference League qualification is unlikely to have made a major dent there.

So much may depend on whether they are willing to promise to prioritise minutes for Fofana despite the presence of Elanga and Calum Hudson-Odoi on the wings – and on whether Fofana himself sees regular playing time as a priority, or whether he would prefer to take a chance on being a back-up at a bigger team in the short term.

If Forest can get a deal done, however, they should move heaven and earth to make it happen. Fofana is a rare talent, a perfect match for the way the team plays, and probably a good financial investment all rolled into one. It’s a transfer that almost feel too good to be true.