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Malick Fofana revealed he rejected Liverpool this summer in favor of more regular game time ahead of the World Cup next year.
The Reds remained linked with the Lyon winger throughout the summer, with the French club's financial struggles — which briefly saw the club demoted to Ligue 2 before the ruling was overturned — forcing it to consider cashing in on key players.
With Luis Diaz joining Bayern Munich, Liverpool was expected to look for a replacement, but a move for Fofana never materialized. Everton was also reportedly monitoring Fofana after the 20-year-old impressed last season under Paulo Fonseca.
The Belgium international told HBVL that he chose to prioritize regular playing time this summer, opting against a move to the Premier League for now.
"There was interest from those two clubs (Liverpool and Chelsea), but ultimately it wasn’t concrete enough", said Fofana.
"I’ve thought about a transfer, but I think it’s more important now that I play a lot, and that has to happen at Lyon because I still have progress to make.
"Of course (he has dreams of starting at the World Cup next summer), but I realize I still have a lot to prove. I’ve already made progress. I’m now more decisive and more involved in the game."
Before the Reds signed Alexander Isak, Paul Joyce of The Times said that Arne Slot believes he has attacking options within his current squad, highlighting Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong as players who could feature further forward if needed.
While the Liverpool head coach didn’t directly reference Rio Ngumoha, the report states the 17-year-old "sparkled in pre-season," with the club signalling a preference to develop his pathway rather than pursue Bradley Barcola from PSG or Fofana.
Fofana is regarded as a player of immense potential, with former Genk U21 coach Emilio Ferrara once describing him as “the greatest talent I ever trained.” Since joining Lyon, the winger has registered 16 goals in 65 appearances.
Should a move to Anfield materialize in the future, it would represent a dream come true for Fofana, his agent Bobo Fofana told Africa Foot earlier this year.
"The choice of heart would be Liverpool," Fofana said. "He has the potential to enter the rotation, and above all, we would like to see him succeed African legends such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Elhadj Diouf.
"Now, the choice of reason would be Newcastle, a well-structured club that could be a first step to gain experience before, perhaps, joining a club in the European top five."
The Belgian has made it clear that his development is his top priority rather than making his dream move. Turning down the Reds in favour of guaranteed playing time was therefore likely a difficult choice.
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