Arsenal plan to hijack Nottingham Forest and Chelsea's plans for French star: report

Mikel Arteta is looking reshape his midfield

Arsenal, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest all want to sign the 20-year-old in question (Image credit: Getty Images)

Arsenal want to hijack Nottingham Forest and Chelsea's summer transfer plans.

Mikel Arteta appears to be torn between Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko this summer, with both players indicating they want to join his side ahead of the new 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have already recruited former Brighton man Joao Pedro in a £60m deal, with more exits expected at Stamford Bridge to help balance the books once again.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest all want 11-goal man from France

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo (Image credit: Getty Images)

As it stands, there appears to be a three-way battle for the 20-year-old in question, who netted 11 goals for his Ligue 1 side last season. Add that to his six assists in all competitions, a fee of £51.5m is thought to be required.

Already a Belgian international, Liverpool are another side with a noted interest, with fellow European giants Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Napoli also keeping tabs on his current situation in France.

Malick Fofana of Lyon celebrating a goal in the 2024/25 Europa League (Image credit: Getty Images)

As relayed by The Independent, Lyon are happy to allow Fofana to leave the club, with owner John Textor still yet to satisfy French football regulations regarding debts owed.

Lyon have been provisionally relegated to Ligue 2, with an appeal already lodged, but selling further players such as Fofana still looks likely. As reported by BBC Sport, Lyon have been included as a Ligue 1 side with the league's fixtures released last week.

Fofana was impressive during his substitute cameo against Manchester United in the Europa League earlier this year, despite Paulo Fonseca's men crashing out of the competition in dramatic circumstances.

Fabrizio Romano has stated that Forest do have a deal in principle for Fofana to move from the Groupama Stadium, but the 20-year-old has not said yes to the Tricky Trees' proposal and instead would like to play UEFA Champions League football.

Malick Fofana could still be on his way to the Premier League this summer (Image credit: Getty Images)

In FourFourTwo's view, given Fofana's precarious situation at Lyon, a move elsewhere does look likely. The money received would go a long way to helping the French side's situation.

Liverpool or Arsenal would be a good move for the 20-year-old, especially given the competition for places at Chelsea.

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Matthew Holt writes freelance for FourFourTwo, amongst others, and boasts previous experience at GOAL and SPORTBible. He now works with us alongside his time at Manchester United and Reach PLC, aiding with online content for the website. Career highs include working at the FA Cup final, as well as scoring at Old Trafford in front of the Stretford End. A long-term sufferer of his beloved Scunthorpe United, he is often seen on the padel court, as well as occasionally as a six-a-side call-up.

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