Barcelona ‘in talks’ to sign €50m Liverpool winger target | OneFootball

Barcelona are evaluating alternatives to Marcus Rashford and could rival both Liverpool and Arsenal for Malick Fofana, according to a report.

Sport claim Barcelona are ‘monitoring several young European talents’ who could bolster the left wing position, with Lyon ace Fofana the ‘top target’. Barcelona have reportedly opened talks with the forward’s agent to find out whether a deal is achievable.

That comes after Barca scouts watched Fofana live in action on numerous occasions over the past 12 months, returning glowing reports.

Who is Malick Fofana?

Sport state that Liverpool and Arsenal are ‘the other two teams that have shown the most interest in Fofana’, but they could lose out if Barca ramp up their pursuit.

The report claims Barca are concerned about activating their €30million (£26m / $35m) option to buy Rashford from Manchester United due to his ‘very high salary’, which could spark more issues with LaLiga.

Fofana has much lower wage demands. This, coupled with his ‘great technical ability and speed’, is one of the reasons Barca have set their sights on him.

Barcelona considering Malick Fofana, Marcus Rashford

Hansi Flick’s side know Lyon’s ‘precarious financial situation’ will force them to sell some of their best players in 2026, and they aim to capitalise.

Sport is one of Spain’s biggest football newspapers, though online Barca fans typically rank them as being mid tier for transfer news reliability.

Our correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, reported on Thursday that Barca plan to open formal talks with United over Rashford’s permanent transfer in the coming weeks.

Fofana’s thrilling performances for Lyon have sparked interest from clubs all around Europe – not just Barca, Liverpool and Arsenal.

In September, he confirmed that Chelsea and Liverpool were keen on securing his services over the summer.

Last month, Fofana’s agent said he could become a ‘world star’ like Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, and that he ‘belongs at clubs like Liverpool, Manchester City or Bayern Munich’.

Previous reports have suggested the Belgian will cost €50m (£44m / $58m), but this could drop if Lyon are in desperate need of funds.

Which winger should Barca choose?

As Sport point out, Fofana will want far less money to join than Rashford, which could help Barca significantly as they look to get back to true financial stability.

Plus, at just 20, Fofana would have far more resale value than Rashford, who is eight years his senior.

However, Barca should go with the more experienced option in this case and sign Rashford.

Firstly, Fofana will cost more than the €30m buy option for Rashford, which immediately calls into question whether any saving will actually be made on him.

Fofana has great potential, but there is no guarantee he will actually live up to it. Young players can be inconsistent, and young forwards can miss big chances.

Rashford, in contrast, has proven the doubters wrong and is thriving in Catalonia. So far, his record stands at six goals and seven assists in 15 appearances.

While Rashford is already an important part of the squad, Fofana would need time to adjust to his new surroundings, as well as Flick’s style of play.