Chelsea could have a problem if Liverpool decide to make a move for one of their targets this summer.
Chelsea are in the market for a new winger and are pursuing Jamie Gittens. Gittens is keen to move to Stamford Bridge, but the Blues have yet to agree on a fee with Borussia Dortmund for his signature.
They do seem to have other options, including Lyon’s Malick Fofana and Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho.
However, the Conference League winners could find it difficult to persuade one of those names to join them.
Malick Fofana dreaming of Liverpool move
While Chelsea do have Fofana on their radar, they could end up missing out on the 20-year-old to Liverpool.
According to the player’s agent, Anfield is his dream destination, giving Liverpool and Arne Slot the upper hand in any potential transfer battle.
Speaking to Africafoot in March, Fofana’s agent, Bobo Fofana, said: “The choice of heart would be Liverpool. He has the potential to enter the rotation, and above all, we would like to see him succeed African legends such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and El Hadj Diouf.
“Now, the choice of reason would be Newcastle, a well-structured club that could be a first step to gain experience before, perhaps, joining a club in the European top 5.”
L’Equipe recently reported that Liverpool are another club who are interested in Fofana, so the Belgian may very well get his wish.
The French outlet has also claimed that Fofana could cost around €50m (£42m), making him affordable for both Chelsea and Liverpool.
Chelsea and Liverpool have already made early moves this summer, with the former bringing in Liam Delap from Ipswich Town. As for the latter, they are closing in on the signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.
Malick Fofana’s 2024/25 season stats
At 20, Fofana is understandably not a prolific attacker yet. However, he did manage to score a few goals last season.
In fact, in the Europa League, the Belgium international actually did look prolific at times. In 10 outings, he managed to score six goals.
| Malick Fofana’s 2024/25 stats | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Ligue 1 | 29 | 5 | 4 |
| Europa League | 10 | 6 | 1 |
| French Cup | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 41 | 11 | 5 |
For now, though, Gittens looks to be Chelsea’s priority, though the Blues signing both the Dortmund star and Fofana does not sound impossible.
At this moment in time, Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke and Tyrique George are the only wingers in Enzo Maresca‘s squad, so the Italian is not currently blessed with wide options.
