Tottenham urged to look closer at French attacker’s injury record ahead of potential summer move

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated Jul 19, 2025 4:08 PM ET

Tottenham told to closely evaluate fitness of Lyon winger Malick Fofana before making a move

With Thomas Frank becoming the new Tottenham Hotspur boss, a new of style is set to be employed from next season onward.

Spurs have strengthened their attacking ranks with the permanent capture of Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich and the acquisition of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United. Kudus’ signing has been the eye-catching one for the fans, and the Ghanaian attacker will look to offer guile, unpredictability, pace and goals.

However, the Lilywhites are seemingly not done reinforcing their attack for the next season. This has been evidenced by reports that the Hotspur Way chiefs keeping tabs on Feyenoord winger Igor Paixao. Unfortunately, Paixao has suffered a serious muscle injury in training earlier this week and will miss the start of the 2025/26 season, thereby stalling any potential transfer.

Elsewhere, Spurs have shown an interest in signing Lyon winger Malick Fofana. He has emerged on the club’s radar after a stellar season with Lyon. The Belgian speedster has impressed over the last two years in France since he moved to Lyon from Gent in 2023.

Tottenham were looking to take advantage of Lyon’s relegation from Ligue 1 due to financial problems and sign Malick Fofana in June. In a potential blow to Spurs in landing Fofana, Lyon’s relegation was revoked last week by the French football federation after a successful appeal. Moreover, there could be further possible obstacles for the North Londoners in their bid to sign the 20-year-old this summer.

Injury expert advises Tottenham to evaluate Malick Fofana’s fitness closely

Dr Rajpal Brar has assessed Fofana’s fitness record after an injury-curtailed campaign in Lyon colours. The prodigious talent sustained injuries to his hip, knee and calf last season, missing 10 games in the process for both Lyon and Belgium combined. Therefore, the injury expert feels Tottenham may want to double check on the fitness of the winger before making a move.

“Spurs may take a closer look at his recent history of injuries, with him suffering three different injuries last season, which is worrying,” Dr Rajpal Brar exclusively told Tottenham News.

“This obviously limited the number of minutes he could play and his adaptability to a new league may also come into consideration if they are to seriously pursue this signing.

“The Premier League is far more fast-paced and physical than Ligue 1, so it may be a challenge for an injury-prone player.”

Tottenham should avoid signing the Lyon starlet

While Fofana impressed last season with 11 goals and six assists in all competitions, his £40m-£45m valuation is a steep for a youngster who is yet to prove himself in England. It will be risky spending such an amount to bring him from Ligue 1 to the Premier League. Plus, there should be concerns about his injury issues and how he adapts to the fast-paced and physical nature of Premier League football.

That said, instead of signing Fofana from Lyon, Frank must look to use academy starlet Mikey Moore extensively next term. This will not only save money but also allow Moore to develop further after an injury-curtailed breakout campaign last time out.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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