Malick Fofana: Why Chelsea & Liverpool are eyeing Lyon's 'Eden Hazard-like' Belgian wonderkid

The son of a former professional footballer, it seems Fofana was always destined to follow the same path. He was born to a Guinean father and Filipino mother in the city of Aalst, Belgium, in March 2005.

He took his first academy steps at local fourth-tier club Eendracht Aalst at a very young age before joining Gent, a short distance from his hometown, in 2014 aged nine. Earmarked as a prodigious talent, Fofana would continue his development there for eight years, signing his first boot deal with German sportswear behemoth adidas at 14, and was awarded his first professional contract at Gent in January 2022 when he was still just 16.

Fofana wouldn't have to wait long for a first-team breakthrough. Having been involved in pre-season, he made his official senior debut when he emerged from the bench late in Gent's second league game of the 2022-23 season against Sint-Truiden.

The following week, he was handed a full debut and starred in the 2-1 win over Westerlo. "The first time in a full stadium in front of the fans, that kind of thing tickles," the attacker said afterwards. "It's really nice to be in the starting line-up today. My parents and nephew were in the stands too. I'm doing it for them."

However, those early-season outings did not prove to be the springboard that Fofana might have been hoping for, as head coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck used him sparingly in the first half of the campaign while he often featured for the Under-21s. It was only from mid-January onwards that he became more of a permanent fixture.

Fofana had to wait until October 2023 to bag his first league goal, picking the ball up in the centre circle against Molenbeek and racing forward, before skipping inside a defender and crashing home a low, left-footed strike from the edge of the box. The teenager would have a particularly fruitful period across November and December, winning Player and Goal of the Month in the former while registering five goal involvements in as many games.

That form piqued Lyon's interest when the January transfer window rolled around, with the French giants shelling out €22 million (£19m/$25m) to sign Fofana amid their struggles in Ligue 1. However, Said Benrahma's arrival from West Ham the same month meant he had to be patient, starting just three times in the league during the remainder of the season.

Although Fofana still had to fight for a starting place, 2024-25 was eventually a different story as the 19-year-old made the left flank his own, scoring five times in six matches between late September and early November, including a dominant Europa League display against Rangers. He also earned a senior Belgium debut in October 2024 against Italy, having played through the age grades.

Having only turned 20 in March, Fofana finished the season with a very respectable 17 goal contributions to his name, including eight in 10 games in Europe.

First and foremost, Fofana is a wonderful dribbler who uses his speed and two-footedness to manipulate the ball and ghost away from defenders in a flash - making him 'a nightmare for defenders', according to the Belgian press. Others have described him as 'Eden Hazard-like'.

His ex-Lyon boss, Pierre Sage, also recognised the youngster's game intelligence: "He plays the game - an essential quality. [He is] a fairly complete player, comfortable in different phases of play. When he needs to cross, he crosses. When he needs to shoot, he shoots. When you respect the game, the game respects you in return, and so do your team-mates."

The winger's drive and attitude have also not gone unnoticed despite his tender years. "He's a player who's at the very high level in his mentality," Sage said previously. Former club Gent also noted Fofana's work ethic when he signed that first pro contract way back in 2022, writing: "Malick is a winner who does not forget his defensive tasks."

There are no glaring flaws to Fofana's game beyond the kinds of details that will be ironed out as he matures and gains experience, but one aspect has been called into question. The winger has inevitably been compared with Jeremy Doku - a result of their shared Belgian nationality and dazzling ability with the ball at their feet. However, former Gent head coach Vanhaezebrouck sees a clear difference.

"Everyone in the youth department knew how exceptional he [Fofana] was," he said. "But it is early if you look at his 'body'. If I compare him to Doku, he was already much more robust and muscular than Malick. That is an advantage."

There are already the signs that Fofana has bulked up at Lyon, and physicality is certainly something he can continue to work on in the gym going forward, rather than any serious concern.

The answer to this question now seems far less certain. Many might have assumed that Fofana would spend at least one more season in France to continue his development somewhat out of the spotlight - especially after Lyon finally let go of fellow attacking talent Rayan Cherki, who has joined Manchester City in a deal worth up to €42.5m (£36m/$49m).

However, no sooner had the transfer window officially opened for the summer than it was revealed that Chelsea had made an enquiry about the young wide man, as the Blues go in search of a new left-winger following Jadon Sancho's return to Manchester United and amid Mykhailo Mudryk's continued absence due to a doping suspension. Reports in France then claimed that Liverpool had made their interest known, while Arsenal and United are also monitoring the situation.

These latest developments come against the backdrop of Lyon's dire financial situation under American owner John Textor, which could necessitate more key player sales after Les Gones were threatened with relegation to Ligue 2.

Intriguingly, Fofana's former agent, Bobo Fofana, said earlier in 2025 his client's "choice of heart would be Liverpool", but the "choice of reason would be Newcastle". The player has since changed agent, to Jay-Z's Roc Nation. Addressing his own future in April, Fofana was more coy, saying: "Honestly, I hear about it (Liverpool and Arsenal's interest), but it doesn't affect me, so I just focus on myself, and I know when I do great that the rest will come. I watch a lot of the Premier League, I know there is a lot of big clubs.

"I know my talents, I know what I can do, so it was just a matter of time. I know people will always talk – I stay calm, I have a great mentality so I know it will come."