Lyon have grown a reputation for developing and nurturing young players through their famous Meyzieu academy. Rayan Cherki, Karim Benzema, Alexandre Lacazette, Corentin Tolisso, and Houssem Aouar are just a few names to have graduated from the Rhône club’s storied youth set-up. In contrast, Malick Fofana has broken that mould as a youthful recruit who has thrived after arriving at the Groupama Stadium.  

The Belgian international attacker offered modest glimpses of his talent when he broke through in his homeland with Gent. He made 64 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring five goals and registering 10 assists. Whilst his performances were inconsistent, Les Gones were willing to pay €15m for his services, knowing his potential and what consistency could do to his game. 

Arriving as an unknown quantity to those outside Belgium, little was expected of Fofana at OL during his first season. Very similar to his time at Gent, the forward offered glimpses of his talent during his first six months at the club. Following the departures of senior attackers, like Wilfried Zaha and Saïd Benrahma, the 21-year-old was offered increased opportunities and began to show his true potential. 

Forming part of an impressive trio with Alexandre Lacazette and Rayan Cherki, the Belgian forward transitioned seamlessly from being an impact player from the bench to a difference maker in the starting XI. Fofana became a dependable option for Pierre Sage, who could create an opening on his own. 

Blessed with dazzling feet and explosive pace, the OL attacker proved himself to be a player who gets fans out of their seats. In a split-second, he can find his way out of traffic before finding himself one-on-one with an opposition defender. His speed allows him to drift in behind opposition defenders and start counterattacks. There are few players in Ligue 1 who are more dangerous than Fofana on the counter. He displayed this with a superbly taken goal in a 4-2 win against Le Havre. The 21-year-old was played in-behind before he showed great skill to evade his marker and round the keeper, leaving both with no chance. 

Everton among clubs to make concrete approaches

In addition to his abilities on the ball, the Belgian international began to show his ability to be decisive in the final third last season. Across all competitions, Fofana scored 11 goals and registered six assists in 41 appearances. Fofana began to show he was not just a player with quick feet, but a player who had the ability to change games in a single moment and cause a real threat in the opposition area. He showcased this talent with one of Lyon’s best goals of the season in a 4-1 win against Rennes at the end of the season. Fofana left now Burnley defender Lorenz Assignon for dead as he drifted inside with step overs and shifted onto his right foot. After creating the space to shoot, the former Gent forward unleashed a beautifully curled effort which crashed in off the crossbar, leaving Steve Mandanda with no choice but watch the shot sail past him. 

His impressive season did not go unnoticed. With young attackers a hot property across Europe, several clubs were linked with signing the former Belgian youth international. Liverpool and Bayern Munich were the highest-profile clubs to be linked with a potential swoop for Fofana, but neither club made an official offer. However, both Everton and Nottingham Forest tried to recruit Fofana, but he rejected both Premier League clubs in the hope of securing a move to a bigger club. After Cherki left the club, Lyon were reluctant to see him leave and he agreed to remain put at the Groupama Stadium with the prospect of being a leader in attack after a summer transfer window which saw great change.  

Fofana’s stellar season didn’t just see him recognised by clubs around Europe; he also became a regular at international level. The winger has made five appearances for his national team and scored his first international goal in a 6-0 win against Liechtenstein during a World Cup qualifier.  

He started this season well. With a goal and an assist in OL’s first two matches against Lens and Metz, it appeared to be business as usual for the Belgian starlet. However, Fofana began to suffer from a lack of form at a time when his club needed him to step up. The forward’s lack of form didn’t see the team suffer as Les Gones remained at the top end of both the Ligue 1 and Europa League tables, but this saw him come under criticism from his manager. 

Fonseca says he ‘expects more’ from Fofana

Whilst Fofana has shown his game-changing abilities on numerous occasions, this hasn’t stopped those around him from demanding more from him, knowing the heights he can potentially reach. Commenting on his form this season after he was dropped before a match against RB Salzburg in the Europa League, Paulo Fonseca stated, “I expect more from him, yes. I think he can do more, and I have spoken to him about it. He must understand that this is an important season for him and his time is now.” The next game, he responded in spectacular fashion with an excellent finish.

But soon after this drop in form, the Belgian suffered another setback. The attacker was stretchered off following an aggressive challenge from Strasbourg’s Ismael Doukouré in a 2-1 victory. The former Gent wide forward has since been out on the sidelines for several months with an ankle sprain. Fofana is expected to return to action in January, and if his response to setbacks in the past is anything to go by, he will be doing all in his power to be back to his best.

With Endrick coming in, he will slot back into a forward line that will likely work slightly differently, and it may take him time to truly rediscover his best form, but there is no reason that the big move that eluded him last summer should not come off at the end of the season.