Youssouf Fofana to Aston Villa from AC Milan
The Verdict Right Now
| Move | AC Milan → Villa |
| In short | Forest favoured for Milan man |
| Last reported | August 24th (7 days ago) |
| Sourcing | From an outlet with a mixed record, so treat it with some caution |
Milan are steering Fofana toward Nottingham Forest. Gazzetta dello Sport, relayed by Football Italia on August 24th, reported Milan are still waiting for a formal offer from either Villa or Forest for the unwanted France international, but described Forest as the "most likely" destination. No formal Villa bid has been reported at any stage. TEAMtalk and Football365's Ciaran McCarthy, both citing Italian insider Nicolo Schira on August 20th, had Villa and Crystal Palace competing to sign him with talks in progress, though it was not specified whether those talks were with Milan or with his representatives. Milan put Fofana up for sale as part of a squad clear-out, with a fee of around €18m-€20m reportedly enough; Forest and Villarreal have also been credited with offers, per Get French Football News.
Primary source: Nicolo Schira, via TeamTalk (Ciaran McCarthy) and Football365 (Ciaran McCarthy) · last corroborated August 24th.
Related
How the Story Moved
| Date | What changed | |
|---|---|---|
| August 20th | Tracked | Rumor opened on the board at 22% (contact) — source: Nicolo Schira, via TeamTalk (Ciaran McCarthy) and Football365 (Ciaran McCarthy). Villa have entered the race for AC Milan midfielder Youssouf Fofana. TeamTalk and Football365 (Ciaran McCarthy), both citing Italian insider Nicolo Schira on August 20th, report Villa and Crystal Palace are competing to sign the France international, with talks described as in progress though it is not specified whether those talks are with Milan or with the player's representatives. Milan have put Fofana up for sale alongside Fikayo Tomori and Christopher Nkunku as part of a squad clear-out, with a fee in the region of EUR 18m-20m reportedly enough to prise him away; Nottingham Forest and Villarreal have also been credited with offers per Get French Football News. The interest surfaces as Emery looks to add midfield depth after Youri Tielemans's departure to Manchester United and injuries to Joao Gomes and Amadou Onana, with Villa's pursuit of Joao Palhinha having stalled in Benfica's favour. |
| August 24th | Moved | Likelihood fell from 22% to 6% (cooling). Villa have entered the race for AC Milan midfielder Youssouf Fofana. TeamTalk and Football365 (Ciaran McCarthy), both citing Italian insider Nicolo Schira on August 20th, report Villa and Crystal Palace are competing to sign the France international, with talks described as in progress though it is not specified whether those talks are with Milan or with the player's representatives. Milan have put Fofana up for sale alongside Fikayo Tomori and Christopher Nkunku as part of a squad clear-out, with a fee in the region of EUR 18m-20m reportedly enough to prise him away; Nottingham Forest and Villarreal have also been credited with offers per Get French Football News. The interest surfaces as Emery looks to add midfield depth after Youri Tielemans's departure to Manchester United and injuries to Joao Gomes and Amadou Onana, with Villa's pursuit of Joao Palhinha having stalled in Benfica's favour. Milan are steering the story toward Nottingham Forest. Gazzetta dello Sport, relayed by Football Italia on August 24th, reported Milan are still waiting for a formal offer from either Villa or Forest for the unwanted Fofana, but described Forest as the 'most likely' destination for the France international, with Fikayo Tomori (also tracked below) the player Milan see Villa as more likely to actually sign. No formal Villa bid has been reported at any point in this saga, so the rumor cools rather than reaching off outright. |
Timeline reflects our tracking history since the rumor joined the board, not every media mention. For everything Villa, live: the Verdict homepage.