Arsenal-target Fofana refuses to discuss his future until after the Euros

Arsenal may have just acquired the perfect reason to circle Youssouf Fofana’s name on their midfield transfer wishlist.

The 6-foot-long Monaco midfielder, who has a flair for breaking the lines, is poised to enter the final year of his contract with the Ligue 1 club in the summer. He has been crucial this season, leading Monaco’s engine room in 29 of their 31 league games, and they should definitely do something to extend his contract.

As they ponder doing so, Fofana has recently indicated that contract extension talks aren’t his priority and that he will have to wait until after the Euros.

“We haven’t yet spoken about it with the sporting director,” he said in the Mirror about plans to extend his contract.

“He will allow me to finish the season so that there aren’t too many things in my head and if I then go to the Euros with the France national team, we will speak about it upon my return. We haven’t dwelt on it.

“Qualification for the Champions League could be important, added the 25-year-old though Monaco are likely to qualify for it.

“As I said, we haven’t dwelt on it. We’ll see what happens when we come back for pre-season.”

I feel these claims do not inspire hope for a club about a player who is determined to stay with them.

By the time Fofana meets with the Ligue 1 giants, he’ll be in the final year of his contract. Surely, by then, his pursuers, including Arsenal, AC Milan, PSG, and Atletico Madrid, would have begun to sweet talk him. Monaco may offer him a deal he doesn’t want, and if he rejects it, it may force them to sell him rather than lose him for free next year.

Arsenal are hunting for the perfect companion for Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, and Fofana could be it. All they need to do is monitor the Frenchman’s situation and seize any opportunities that present themselves.

Daniel O