‘We Got Directly Involved’ – Sporting Director Makes Sunderland Deal Admission | OneFootball

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Lyon sporting director Matthieu Louis-Jean has revealed that the club decided to get directly involved in Malick Fofana’s move to Sunderland on deadline day as time was running out for him to make a decision.

Sunderland wanted to provide Regis Le Bris with more options in the forward department and they decided to walk away from the Igor Paixao deal despite having an agreement with the player.

On deadline day Sunderland were focused on signing Lyon’s 21-year-old winger Fofana and it looked like his arrival at the Stadium of Light was imminent, but Crystal Palace entered the frame in the intent to hijack the deal.

However, Sunderland offered Fofana’s agent higher commission than Palace to turn the tide in their favour, but his future looked uncertain as the player was having a tough time deciding which club he wanted to join.

However, Sunderland offered slightly favourable terms to the French giants Lyon and the players’ camp in the dying hours of deadline day to beat off Crystal Palace in the race for Fofana.

Louis-Jean admitted Lyon had agreements with Sunderland and Crystal Palace, while they then had to get involved directly to bring matters to a conclusion.

The Lyon sporting director stated that he had a talk with Fofana and made him understand that time was running out, which prompted the Belgian winger to make a decision.

“We had agreements with two clubs”, Louis-Jean was quoted as saying by French journalist Hugo Guillemet.

“On the last day, there was an issue with decision-making, and that is why we got directly involved.

“I spoke to Malick; he understood that we were very close to the end of the transfer window and that he had to make a decision.”

Fofana featured 84 times for Lyon, registering 19 goals and eight assists and represented the French club in European competitions as well.

Sunderland paid a fee in the region of £30m to bring the 21-year-old to the Stadium of Light and he signed a five-year deal with them which will keep Fofana at the club until 2031.

At the weekend, he made his debut against Brentford by coming off the bench during the 74th minute of the game when Sunderland were trailing 1-0 and played a part in Le Bris’ side securing a 1-1 draw.