Nottingham Forest battling Crystal Palace as 'offer submitted' for Milan star - journalist
Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace have submitted a contract offer to Youssouf Fofana as AC Milan plan for him to leave this summer.
Fofana has been told that he can leave Milan before the summer window closes after two seasons at the club following a move from Monaco.
The 27-year-old has made 88 appearances for the Rossoneri since 2024 but is not part of new manager Ruben Amroim's plans.
Everton and Palace have each been linked to his services in the last few weeks as they look to add depth to their respective midfield options.
Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna has now reported that Forest, Palace and Villarreal have each submitted a contract offer to his representatives.
Several other European clubs are showing an interest in the Frenchman, with Milan set to demand between £15.3 and £17million for his services.
Youssouf Fofana emerges as option for Nottingham Forest in midfield search
Oliver Glasner is keen to add depth and quality to his options in the middle of the park ahead of his first season at Forest since leaving Palace at the end of last term.
Xaver Schlager joined on a free transfer in July after leaving RB Leipzig to bolster their squad just weeks after Elliot Anderson completed a big-money move to Man City.
Fofana has emerged as an option for the Reds as Milan make him available, with several years of experience in Europe's top-five leagues under his belt.
The 27-year-old has amassed 25 appearances for the French national team since 2022, while being a regular in the Champions League with Monaco and Milan.
He is primarily known as a box-to-box midfielder but can operate in a holding role, and has two years left on his contract at the San Siro as it stands.
What has Fofana said about Forest in the past?
Glasner is clearly after signing more than one new midfielder before the window closes, with sources revealing to Football Insider that Forest are willing to pay £55m to sign Man City star Tijjani Reijnders.
Some supporters may have reservations around signing Fofana, given what he has said about the club in the past.
They held an interest in signing him alongside Fulham in 2023 while he was still at Monaco, but he turned down any interest to stay in Ligue 1.
He was then asked about the interest later that year in October, and replied: "I want to go somewhere where I can continue to be selected for the French national team. If you choose between Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Monaco, naturally I stay at Monaco.”