French media reports revealed that Belgian star Malik Fofana, a player for Lyon, rejected a huge offer from Saudi club Al-Ittihad during the last summer transfer window, preferring to remain with his French team.

According to the British website “Liverpool Echo,” Fofana attracted interest from several English Premier League clubs, alongside Al-Ittihad, which made an official offer worth around 40 million euros to sign him.

However, the 21-year-old young player refused to leave at this time, insisting on staying with Lyon for at least one more season to develop his skills and gain more experience before embarking on a new challenge outside France.

Fofana joined Lyon in January 2024 from Belgian club Gent in a deal worth about 17 million euros, quickly becoming one of the team’s standout stars in the French league thanks to his speed and high skills.

Fofana’s decision to stay with Lyon is a major blow to Al-Ittihad, which was seeking to strengthen its squad with young European names alongside its current stars such as Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kanté.