Liverpool have renewed their interest in Olympique Lyon playmaker Nabil Fekir but are not willing to pay £53 million they agreed last summer.
According to French newspaper Le Progres, as cited by Daily Mail, Liverpool are willing to re-open talks with Olympique Lyonnais regarding the possible transfer of Nabil Fekir. The Frenchman was close to joining the club last summer for a reported fee of £53 million. But, the move reportedly broke down due to medical reasons.
This summer, however, Liverpool are once again keen on signing the World Champion, hoping that they could get him for a cut-price. So essentially, the Reds are reluctant to offer anywhere near the £53 million the two clubs agreed last summer. Instead, they want to make use of the revenue generated in their pre-season friendly against Lyon to offset some of the outlay.
This could be a smart move from Liverpool, who have had a massive surge in popularity following their UEFA Champions League triumph in the recently concluded 2018/19 campaign. And the Reds are sure to earn a lot of revenue even from the pre-season friendlies this summer.
From a sporting perspective, Fekir’s deal would also make sense for multiple reasons. It’s probably needless to say that Liverpool have lacked reliable options in the creative department, with Naby Keita and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain struggling with injuries while Xherdan Shaqiri has fallen down the pecking order during the second half of the 2018/19 campaign.
Adam Lallana, on the other hand, has struggled with form and injuries. The England international clarified that he’s happy at Liverpool earlier this month, but it is unlikely he will receive much recognition from Jurgen Klopp next season. He was notably linked with a return to Southampton earlier this summer.
Fekir, therefore, will provide some much-needed competition to these players next season, especially the midfield duo of Georginio Wijnaldum and Keita. The Frenchman has also been in great form, making it all the more likely that he will be able to settle in quickly to the Liverpool side.
Indeed, the 25-year-old enjoyed yet another productive campaign with Lyon this past season, having been involved in 16 goals in 29 matches, helping Les Gones finish third in the Ligue 1 table. However, his lack of versatility could be a problem for Klopp, especially considering the fact he won’t be devoid of options in the attacking midfield department next season.
But, in hindsight, Fekir has the quality to further enhance Liverpool’s chance creation and add more dynamism to the Reds attack that has already raised a lot of eyebrows over the course of the past two seasons. Although, it will be interesting to see if Liverpool do manage to work out a Fekir deal for a cut-price this summer.
