Hey want another spurious transfer rumor that won’t happen if Spurs are relegated? Well I’ve got you covered again. Gazzetta dello Sport is back with another Italian language transfer rumor that has both Tottenham and Aston Villa interested in €25m-rated 26-year-old French defensive midfielder Youssouf Fofana. It’s not MUCH of a rumor, but it’s something.
Here’s the relevant paragraph, translated into Italian by the Google machine.
Fofana was approached by Galatasaray and Fenerbahce back in January,
but he has no interest in moving to Turkey. Instead, keep an eye on Tottenham (if they stay up) and Aston Villa — both clubs have already signaled interest to his camp. Milan paid Monaco €25 million for him (including bonuses) and they don’t think he’s lost any value since then. If anything, the opposite.
So let’s talk about this. For starters we should be aware from the start that the (if they stay up) is of course the most relevant thing about this, and any other player Spurs are linked to in the transfer window. That pretty much goes without saying, but I have a bit to maintain so I’m posting the Simpsons meme anyway.
I had a look at his statistics on Scoutlab, and while there are lots of green bars, this is the thing that leaped out at me right away.
[screams] LANGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
But ok, hold up, let’s dig into this a little more. For one thing, Fofana was wanted by Arsenal a couple of years ago when he was still playing for Monaco, and also these passing numbers appear to be something of an outlier. Max Allegri has been playing Fofana this season deeper than his usual role and as something of a midfield destroyer. In fact, if you go back to the 2023-24 season and look at his passing numbers, they pop a lot more significantly than they do this season.
Now, as I’m not a particularly big Milan watcher (who has the time?) I only really have stats to rely on, but a role change from last season could be a major factor in his passing numbers going down, especially if Allegri has been instructing him to basically break up play at the base of midfield. Here are his bars in the same areas last year.
Well, THAT’s an improvement. And for further context, here is his Statsbomb radar from 2023/24, his last year at Monaco.
To add to the context, I dug up an interview with Fofana back in mid-March in L’Equipe (£) where he touches on his current role in Milan’s side and how it doesn’t necessarily track with his strengths.
Do you feel you are poorly evaluated?
Since people can’t quite figure me out, they don’t put me in any particular category of players. Someone made a compilation of me this summer. When he was done, he said: “You’re actually a really good player.” (Laughs.) You see? You have to sit down for ninety minutes and try to analyze, to understand, why I did this or attempted that. And at the end, you make your judgment. I like to take risks. Which no longer exists in today’s football, where everyone plays it safe. People will tell me: “Your pass completion rate isn’t at the level of the great midfielders.” OK, but I have one argument: I take more risks. I’ve missed. Does that mean that technically, I’m weaker than them? I don’t know.
Do you want creative football?
But that’s exactly why I started playing football! I don’t like sitting in front of my TV saying: wow, he’s really good, and then when I’m on the pitch, not trying to do the same. I’m genuinely tired of hearing: “OK, he’s too good, he does this and that.” Then do it! We have the incredible privilege of being out there. Let’s try! I’m not saying you should attempt impossible things. But I don’t want to say: I’m not going to try because I’m afraid of failing.
So there’s SOME evidence that Fofana is a much different player who has had his creativity and passing neutered somewhat by Max Allegri’s tactics. That makes me feel a little better about being linked to a 26-year-old French central midfielder who seemingly can’t pass. Now, we don’t really know WHY Spurs and Johan Lange are targeting him, and seeing as how I don’t fully trust to sign midfielders since he seemingly believe passing isn’t real, but if they’re looking at Fofana as a creative player akin to his Monaco days and not a destroyer a la Allegri, then this makes more sense. Now, Fofana’s actually been a pretty decent destroyer for Milan which would hypothetically make him a potential replacement for Joao Palhinha (if Spurs don’t buy him outright this summer) or Rodrigo Bentancur so I can’t rule out Spurs buying him for the entirely wrong reasons. And the thing he’s most known for — naturally — is winning duels in the center of the pitch, both as an 8 and as a 6.
Naturally, none of this matters unless Spurs stay in the Premier League, but on the whole I’m a little more intrigued than I was when I first started researching. Youssof Fofana wouldn’t be the plus creative passer that we’ve been missing, but I think he’s a better all-around midfielder than he’s shown this season at Milan. He’s no Hayden Hackney, but hopefully that’s a different signing. For €25m (or less), he’s probably worth considering.
