Malick Fofana, a 21-year-old winger, was initially heading for Crystal Palace on a five-year contract, but then changed his mind and decided to join Sunderland. The player's change of heart came after speaking to Crystal Palace's manager, Pierre Sage, who coached Fofana at Lyon and forged a strong bond with him. However, Sunderland refused to surrender and eventually convinced Fofana to join them.
The transfer saga involved two private jets, one dispatched by Sunderland and the other by Palace, which sat on the tarmac at Lyon airport. In an attempt to remind Fofana why he was excited about playing for Sunderland, the club's owner, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, flew to Lyon and spoke to him privately. This intervention appears to have been successful, as Fofana announced that he would be joining Sunderland shortly after 9pm.
Fofana scored 11 goals in 59 appearances for Lyon since arriving from Gent in 2024. He is set to become Sunderland's record signing, eclipsing the £30m paid to Strasbourg for midfielder Habib Diarra last summer. Sunderland have submitted a deal sheet and expect it to be concluded shortly.