Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are among those interested in Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana, who could be on his way in the transfer window, according to Jonathan Johnson.
Specially speaking CaughtOffside In his Daily Briefing column, the French football expert explained that the TV rights situation in Ligue 1 means there is some uncertainty about the future of the players this summer.
This means that Monaco may be under pressure, as they usually are, to get money for a player like Fofana, who has a lot of interest in Europe, according to Johnson, and the Frenchman could cost around 50 million euros.
But, the nature of the TV rights also means that the kind of price tag could be tricky for PSG to pay, giving Arsenal an advantage if they are looking to strengthen their midfield.
Fabrizio Romano has also told us of Arsenal's interest in Martin Zubimendi and Joao Neves, so it remains to be seen whether Fofana will be the main target, but he will be a tempting option if he is available.
Fofana transfer: The latest on the Monaco midfielder's future
Discussing Fofana's links to Arsenal and PSG, Johnson said: “Youssouf Fofana has been linked with Arsenal again and we know Monaco have to sell to survive this summer. Returning to the Champions League reduces the demand a bit, to be more demanding for the price, but it is generally reasonable that we see links with clubs like Arsenal as he is a player that I understand is wanted. behind all of Europe at the moment, not just Arsenal and the Premier League, but PSG are watching him and he is a top French talent from the Paris region.
“Regarding Fofana's price, I don't think we will see the same price as when Aurelien Tchouameni went to Real Madrid a few years ago. But I think Monaco will look for more than 50 million euros, which makes it difficult for a club like PSG right now with the uncertainty of Ligue 1 TV rights. That would make it a very good situation for a club like Arsenal or anyone else in the Premier League who might be interested.
“I think most of the top European clubs will be looking at the situation that the clubs in France and Italy are in at the moment in terms of TV rights and hope to take advantage of that uncertainty, and maybe hope to get a couple of top names at competitive prices, if not prices.
“With Fofana and Monaco, even in the best of times it is clear that Monaco is not in a position to turn down that kind of interest and a big offer for a player of Fofana's caliber, so if the television rights situation drags on for a long time. They won't have a choice, so it's something to watch and it could be one of the biggest auctions we see from a Ligue 1 club this summer.”
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