The real reason Mikel Arteta blocked Arsenal deal for Malick Fofana on deadline day

Malick Fofana was offered to Arsenal late in the summer transfer window (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal did not pursue a deadline-day deal for Malick Fofana after Mikel Arteta raised concerns about the Lyon winger, according to reports.

The Belgium international emerged as a target late in the window as Arsenal considered strengthening their forward line following a number of high-profile snubs.

Deals for Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior failed to materialise, with Christos Tzolis the only arrival to replace Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli.

The Gunners had been holding out hope of a late deal for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, but the Argentine indicated he wasn’t keen on a Premier League return.

However, Arsenal almost sprang into action on deadline day after they were offered the chance to sign Fofana as Lyon looked to raise funds after missing out on the Champions League.

The 21-year-old has previously attracted interest from Liverpool and Chelsea, and was available for around £30million, a similar fee to that which Arsenal paid to bring Tzolis to the Emirates earlier in the summer.

However, The Athletic reports that Arsenal were only willing to pursue a loan deal to avoid the possibility of breaching UEFA’s spending limits.

Malick Fofana ultimately joined Sunderland (Picture: Getty)

It is also said that Arteta spoke with Fofana, but held concerns about the winger’s ability to adapt to the physical demands of the Premier League.