Recruited for nearly 30 million euros, Malick Fofana is still discreet in the Premier League. Arriving at Sunderland in the final hours of the summer transfer window after an interminable summer, the 21-year-old Belgian international has still not been decisive in the league. A start necessarily scrutinized in view of the investment made by the Black Cats. In four appearances in the Premier League, all coming off the bench, the former Lyonnais played around 116 minutes, without scoring a single goal or providing an assist. His playing time, however, increased over the matches, with two starts, including one Thursday evening in the Europa League, against Torreense (2-1). If he has already shown his desire to provoke, he is still missing this decisive gesture to truly launch his English adventure.
Nothing alarming for the moment, as confirmed by his manager Régis Le Bris. “Wingers are a bit special. They need a special character, and you feel that confidence with Malick. You give them the ball and you feel that they face the pressure. I like Malick on the left wing. He reminds me of Enzo (Le Fée) when he played in this position: very serene with the ball, very courageous, capable of creating chances, crossing and combining effectively”he explained, hoping that he will have the same performance as the French midfielder, explaining that young players had to go through a “learning process” to get used to the intensity of the Premier League.
Malick Fofana still has to digest his transfer
The context does not necessarily help Fofana to accelerate. His transfer, completed on September 1 after a battle with Crystal Palace until the final hours of the transfer window, deprived him of summer preparation with his new teammates. The Belgian must also adapt to a demanding championship, while dealing with strong competition and a busy Premier League schedule. So many parameters which can explain why the ex-OL winger is taking time to get going, despite expectations linked to his price.
It now remains to turn promises into action for the Red Devil, who is still struggling to stand out when he has playing time. Bris continues to give him playing time and with the sequence of matches, Fofana could quickly benefit from new opportunities to settle into the rotation and become, in the long term, an indisputable starter for the Black Cats. His offensive record remains blank in the league, but the coming weeks will tell if the former Lyonnais manages to turn a corner and justify the hopes placed in him by Sunderland, who fought hard to have him.
