Arsenal’s transfer plans for Olympique Lyonnaise winger, Nabil Fekir has taken a new twist – the player has expressed his satisfaction with his current club but at the same time has not ruled out a move, if better opportunities do come his way.
When asked about the possibility of a move, the player’s agent, Jean-Pierre Bernes said, “If at the end of the season, and this is not the case today, there was a decision to be made, then we would sit down with President Aulas and we would find the right solution. Respecting first and foremost Lyon. At home, we do not leave like a savage or after a showdown.”
“Nabil is in a big French club if not the biggest. You know very well that at some point, we may be able to ask questions about a departure. The decision will be taken in all intelligence, as professionals, and especially in the interests of all parties.”
The Gunners are prepared to pay £45m to acquire his services ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Arsene Wenger’s main concern is the astronomical price hike the competition places on young players. Alexis Sanchez and James Rodriguez are some of the most recent names, who attracted heavy attention from Barcelona and Real Madrid and eventually was sold off for obscene amounts of money.
The highly rated Ligue 1 star is almost single-handedly leading a relatively young Olympique Lyonnais squad through the 2017/18 season with 21 goals in 34 appearances, across all competitions. An astonishing stat line for a player who is in not a centre-forward, by any means.
Club president, Jean-Michel Aulas has expressed his views deeming the 24-year-old to be more influential to the club than Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian superstar, Neymar. Blessed with a terrific left foot, Fekir can play the number ten role and lead the attacking lineup on a consistent basis. His incredible footwork to get away from opposition defenders along with a quick burst of pace is what sets him apart from the crowd.
Arsenal are currently in the market for a winger after the departures of Alexis Sanchez, Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain and Theo Walcott. While the latter duo might have been as influential as Sanchez, nevertheless a big void has been left in the Gunners ranks and needs to be addressed in the summer.
Alex Iwobi has been fielded in the position and the Nigerian has looked less than impressive this season. The entire creative output of the Arsenal midfield gets laid to waste when there is no wide man to spread the floor.
