Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana was one of the topics discussed in today’s Daily Briefing column from French football expert Jonathan Johnson.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for the piece, Johnson made it clear that he could see Fofana leaving his current club soon, as it looks like it’s going to be hard for Monaco to keep hold of this talented young midfielder.
The 24-year-old France international was previously looked at by Manchester United, according to Fabrizio Romano in his exclusive column, but Johnson also says he could see Paris Saint-Germain looking at someone with his profile.
It remains to be seen if Man Utd might go back in for Fofana in the future, though there could be a decent argument for doing so after the dip in form from Casemiro this season, while Sofyan Amrabat is only at Old Trafford on loan.
Johnson clearly rates Fofana highly and, judging by his comments, it might be that next summer is a time we could see him move, though it will also depend on Monaco’s performances and what position they finish in Ligue 1 this season.
“Top Premier League clubs and others around Europe are increasingly aware of him (Fofana) as he’s a fantastic player – one that I think probably won’t be at Monaco for that much longer,” Johnson said.
“Although links with PSG have been denied, Fofana does fit the profile of the kind of player the club are looking at as part of this new dawn, if you like, which is more revolved around bringing in young French talent. It’s difficult to predict at this moment in time, but I’m not sure PSG can be entirely ruled out.
“A key factor in determining Fofana’s future will be if Monaco have a good season – if they qualify for the Champions League that would immediately up the asking price for Fofana, but if an attractive offer were to came in and Monaco didn’t have European football, that could open the door to a number of clubs.
“One thing I would say is that I don’t see Monaco selling Fofana in the middle of the season. They’ve added some interesting players, so I will feel they have good chances of qualifying for the Champions League. I imagine that means they won’t want to risk losing Fofana in January, and then we’ll see what happens with him in the summer once Monaco know what kind of situation they’re in.”
If Amrabat shines, they could forget Fofana.