Séko Fofana’s Lens departure delayed by Al-Nassr transfer restrictions | OneFootball

Although a deal had seemingly long been agreed for Lens captain Séko Fofana to leave for Saudi Arabia, the Ivorian midfielder is still with the Ligue 1 side on the eve of the team’s full return to training for pre-season.

L’Équipe report tonight that the transfer restrictions imposed on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr by FIFA mean that they are unable to register new players, and as such Fofana’s move to the Gulf state is on hold as it stands. The sanction is related to an alleged missed payment in Ahmed Musa’s arrival from Leicester. Given he has turned down offers from other clubs to prioritise the Al-Nassr offer, Fofana will be staying at Lens for the time being.

The former Udinese man was one of Franck Haise’s key players this past season as they pushed eventual Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain all the way, finishing just one point off first.

Another midfielder could leave instead of fofana – either Łukasz Poręba or Jean Onana. The latter has attracted interest from Beşiktaş, and could even be the subject of a swap deal for Romain Saïss, although L’Équipe have not confirmed these latter reports.

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin