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Arsenal at risk of €30m overpay for Ligue 1 wonderkid striker
Analysis
Arsenal are weighing up a €40m bid for Lens attacker Rayan Fofana, according to Sports Boom.
While Fofana has scored an impressive five Ligue 1 goals in 628 minutes, the blog Allez Lens commented that the rumoured €40m price tag is way too high for a player who still has so much to prove.
Fofana can disorganize opposing defences with his speed and is regarded as a poacher who reacts quickly in the box.
STATS
Rayan Fofana
F (C)
Lens
Rayan Fofana
F (C)
Lens
The 20-year-old has as many Ligue 1 goals this season as more established players, including Goncalo Ramos, Olivier Giroud, Folarin Balogun, and Ludovic Ajorque, but it is his first season playing top-flight football consistently.
Fofana’s fast rise not enough for €40m offer
Fofana had an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €0.9 million in October 2025.
Now, it is €9.9 million, a figure he first reached in December. That is a rapid rise and indicative of the player’s ability to find form, but it is not enough for Arsenal to pay over his value by €30 million.
Fofana’s rise began when he scored the decisive goal in Lens’ 2-1 away victory over Le Havre in late August. He also scored the final goal in a 3-0 home win against Lille in the following month.
He spent much of October and November on the bench, playing just 48 minutes in the league across seven matches where he was part of the matchday squad.
Fofana worked his way back into the team and made a big impression with two goals in the final minutes of Lens’ 5-0 away victory over Paris FC on 14 February.
With Arsenal less than 12 months removed from paying €65.8 million for Viktor Gyokeres while having Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz on the books, a €40 million move for a young player without much of a CV does not make sense at this time.
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