Sunderland have reached an agreement to sign Lyon winger Malick Fofana, with the Belgium international set to undergo a medical before completing his move to the Stadium of Light.
The 21-year-old has been given permission to travel to the north east ahead of signing a five-year contract, with Sunderland holding an option to extend the deal by a further 12 months.
Some paperwork still needs to be completed, but the transfer is expected to go through before Tuesday night’s deadline.
Fofana had emerged as a target for Arsenal, with The Athletic reporting on Monday that the Gunners were considering a move for the winger. He had previously been on their radar and had spoken with Mikel Arteta.
Sunderland have been active in the transfer market this summer as they prepare for their return to the Premier League and Europa League football.
Regis Le Bris’ side have brought in Thomas Meunier, Dayann Methalie and midfielder Jules Ahoka, while attacking additions have also been a priority.
The Black Cats explored moves for Marseille winger Igor Paixao and Manchester City forward Jack Grealish, although Grealish is now set to return to Everton on loan.
Fofana has made six appearances for Lyon this season, scoring twice. He found the net in the second leg of their Champions League play-off defeat by Fenerbahce before scoring in their opening Ligue 1 victory over Toulouse.
The winger has scored 19 goals in 83 appearances for Lyon since joining from Gent for €17m in January 2024.
When does the summer transfer window 2026 close?
The window opened on Monday June 15 and will shut on Tuesday September 1.
After that, every Premier League club can register a squad of up to 25 players, 17 of whom are allowed to be non-Home Grown Players.
A Home Grown Player has been registered with any club affiliated to the English or Welsh Football Association for three entire seasons or 36 months across their career before his 21st birthday, or the end of the season during which they turn 21.
Under-21 players do not count towards the 25-man limit.
What time does the Premier League transfer window shut on transfer deadline day?
The deadline is 23:00 BST in the Premier League, but clubs can have an extra two hours to file the remaining documentation if they submit a deal sheet confirming that an agreement has been reached.
The deal sheet must arrive fully completed before the transfer window closes.
For international transfers, clubs also have to comply with the FIFA Transfer Matching System deadline of midnight.
When does the summer transfer window close around Europe?
There are slight variations between the major European leagues. Here’s when they shut.
| League | Date | BST close | ET | PT |
| Premier League | Sept 1 | 23:00 | 18:00 | 15:00 |
| LaLiga | Sept 1 | 22:59 | 17:59 | 14:59 |
| Serie A | Sept 1 | 19:00 | 14:00 | 11:00 |
| Bundesliga | Aug 31 | 19:00 | 14:00 | 11:00 |
| Ligue 1 | Aug 31 | 19:00 | 14:00 | 11:00 |
When does the 2026/27 winter transfer window open?
The Premier League winter transfer window opens on Friday January 1, 2027 and closes on Monday February 1, 2027 at 23:00 BST.
Can Premier League clubs sign players outside of the window?
Clubs can only add players outside of transfer windows who are free agents and if they have room in their 25-man squad.
Premier League teams can still announce deals with other clubs, but those players will not be registered to play until the window re-opens.
This means there is usually little to no movement when the window closes, with four months to wait until the window re-opens.
Players can be released by Premier League clubs at any time, but the usual rule is that they cannot sign for another side outside of the market.
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