Arsenal miss out on key Deadline Day target as 'deal agreed' with Premier League rival | OneFootball

Gunners were eyeing French international but were hijacked by rivals

Arsenal have missed out on a key Deadline Day target in their hunt for a new winger.

The Gunners had identified Lyon’s Malick Fofana as an option to strengthen their depth in attack, and opened negotiations with the Ligue 1 outfit on Monday over a potential deal for the Frenchman.

However, Santi Aouna and David Ornstein report that the Gunners refused to meet the French club’s asking price - around €40million - and as such, have seen themselves gazumped by a fellow Premier League rival.

Fofana was thought to have been keen on a move to north London, and Fabrizio Romano reported that the winger had held talks with Mikel Arteta.

However, he will now move to Sunderland, who moved quickly to agree a €30million deal with Lyon, plus add-ons, which would take the package closer to Lyon’s initial demands.

Wearside way: Malick Fofana

Getty

Fofana, 21, had previously been on Crystal Palace’s radar earlier in the summer, with the Eagles close to an agreement with Lyon, but the player did not want to move to Selhurst Park.

Instead, he will fly to the north east for a medical ahead of a shock Deadline Day move that will come as a big blow to Arsenal.

The Gunners are light in numbers on the left flank after sanctioning exits for Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli this summer.

Trossard moved to Besiktas in Turkey, while Martinelli is set to complete what will be a club-record sale to Al-Hilal for around £60m.

Ethan Nwaneri is also due to undergo a medical at Borussia Dortmund ahead of a loan move, while Christos Tzolis was signed from Club Brugge earlier in the window.

The north Londoners had previously been linked with a move for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, before the Brazilian agreed a new deal at the Santiago Bernabeu.