Youssouf Fofana to Aston Villa from AC Milan
Youssouf Fofana · Incoming transfer · AC Milan
Verdict Delivered
This rumor DIED. It was dropped from the board after going quiet, last rated 1%.
State of play
| Move | AC Milan → Villa |
| Outcome | Never happened |
| Rated at the end | 1% |
| Resolved | September 2nd |
No Villa move materialised. Milan continued steering Fofana toward Nottingham Forest through the closing days of the window (Gazzetta dello Sport/Football Italia, August 24th), and Serie A's transfer window closed September 1st at 8pm with no formal Villa bid ever reported at any stage.
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. |
| September 1st | Moved | Likelihood fell from 6% to 1% (off). No Villa move materialised. Milan continued steering Fofana toward Nottingham Forest through the closing days of the window (Gazzetta dello Sport/Football Italia, August 24th), and Serie A's transfer window closed September 1st at 8pm with no formal Villa bid ever reported at any stage. |
| September 2nd | Verdict | Rumor died — dropped from the board at 1% |
Timeline since the rumor joined the board.