Lyon winger Malick Fofana is reportedly set to join Sunderland after changing his mind about a last-minute transfer to Crystal Palace, according to reports from France. Initially, Fofana had agreed to a €35 million (£29.9m) deal with Sunderland, but Crystal Palace intervened by reportedly offering Lyon a higher fee of €39 million (£33.4m) on Tuesday. This move had appeared to secure Fofana’s future at Palace, but it is now claimed that Sunderland managed to win him back by offering additional commission to his agents. Fofana is now believed to be traveling to Sunderland to complete the transfer, which would see him join manager Regis Le Bris’s squad. Earlier in the week, there had been speculation that Arsenal were also interested in Fofana, looking to strengthen their attacking options under manager Mikel Arteta. Fofana reportedly spoke with Arteta about the possibility of joining the Premier League champions, and he had not ruled out the move. However, the situation appears to have shifted, with Sunderland now likely to secure the deal. Fofana, 21, had a difficult season last year due to an ankle injury that required surgery, which limited him to just 16 appearances across all competitions. Despite this, he has shown promise with his performances for Lyon and has also represented Belgium at the international level. He has made five appearances for the Belgian national team but was not selected for the squad that participated in the recent World Cup. The transfer saga highlights the intense competition among English clubs for top talent, especially in the final hours of the transfer window. Fofana’s eventual destination will be closely watched, as his move could impact both Sunderland’s ambitions and the prospects of other clubs that had shown interest.