Sunderland won a dramatic deadline-day tussle with Crystal Palace to sign Lyon winger Malick Fofana in a club-record £31m deal. The 21-year-old Belgium international appeared set for Sunderland on Tuesday morning, but Palace manager Pierre Sage, who previously coached Fofana at Lyon, launched a late attempt to lure him to Selhurst Park, prompting a fresh bidding war between the two clubs.

With both clubs flying private jets to Lyon and Fofana undergoing a medical jointly commissioned by both teams, the saga was resolved after Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus travelled to France to speak with the player directly. Fofana, who scored 11 goals in 59 appearances since joining Lyon from Gent in 2024, ultimately committed to a five-year contract at the Stadium of Light shortly after 9pm, with the fee rising from an initial £26m to £31m via add-ons, surpassing the £30m paid for Habib Diarra as Sunderland's new record signing.