Malick Fofana has admitted he wants to accomplish “something special” after joining Sunderland over Crystal Palace and Arsenal. The two London club’s were heavily linked to the Lyon winger with latter ultimately turning down the chance to sign him.
The Gunners have been on the hunt for a new attacking addition for much of the summer window. Julian Alvarez was their top target but Fofana became an option with it looking as though a deal with Atletico Madrid was not going to happen.
Fofana was offered to the Premier League champions and a bid being launched was under consideration. However, The Athletic have claimed that Arteta had concerns over about Fofana being able to adapt to the Premier League with their preference being a loan over permanent transfer.
The Stadium of Light subsequently became his most likely destination but that was before Palace made a late attempt to hijack the deal. Their attempts to do so were in vein, though, with Sunderland signing him for £30m on deadline day and handing him his debut off the bench on Saturday against Brentford.
Speaking to the club’s website, Fofana said: “I’m very happy and excited to be here and I can’t wait to get started. I spoke with a lot of people before coming here and they gave me the feeling they really wanted me.
“It’s been a busy 48 hours, but I can’t wait to get going. I’ve already played in the Europa League and I hope I can bring that experience here.”
He added: “The Premier League is a new experience for me, so I hope it’s a great season. I know with this squad we can do something special.”
