In a recent interview mentioned by the Liverpool Echo, Olympique Lyonnais’ director of football, Juninho Pernambucano shed some light on Nabil Fekir’s future and said, “I spoke with Nabil Fekir. I wanted to get to know him. The coach [Sylvinho] likes the player personally.
“He’s an important person at the club: he’s trained here, he wears the captain’s armband, he’s also world champion.
“But, honestly, I think it’s going to be difficult to convince him to continue. His generation has gone away.
“It’s not a closed matter but I’m telling you the truth. We would like to keep him. For the moment, the only conceivable departure is his.
“As long as he does not leave, we will work with him as if he were going to stay.
“It’s up to him to think about it, to make a decision with his family. But the possibility that he leaves is a reality.”
Liverpool came close to signing Fekir last summer, but the deal fell through at the final hurdle. The Merseyside club were linked with another move for the French midfielder earlier in this off-season (via the Sun), but nothing has materialised thus far.
Fekir’s Form For Lyon Took A Dip Last Season
The French star had a brilliant 2017-18 campaign at Lyon when he scored 23 goals and created eight assists in 40 appearances across all competitions. However, his form took a significant dip in the past season when he could only manage to score 12 goals and grab nine assists in 39 matches on all fronts.
Even though his stats have gotten worse in the Ligue 1 last season, there is no denying that the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner is a consistent goal-scorer and an assist maker from the number 10 position.
Klopp’s Recent Comments Indicate Fekir Is Not Anfield-Bound
Jurgen Klopp is in dire need of recruiting a new creative midfield option for his side this summer, and so Fekir will fit the bill perfectly at Anfield. However, Liverpool are yet to make any marquee signings thus far, which suggests that the Merseyside club might not opt to take any major risks in this transfer period.
Even though Lyon are prepared to cash in on their prized asset, it is unlikely that the Reds will orchestrate a move for him as Klopp has hinted in his post-match interview after Liverpool’s dominant 6-0 win over Tranmere Rovers that he doesn’t expect to have a big transfer window. The German manager said (via the Metro), ‘So yeah, we will see what we do, I don’t think it will be the biggest transfer window of all time.’
Should The Reds Make A Fresh Attempt To Sign The World Champion?
Thus, it makes no sense for the European champions to splash the cash on Fekir even if he is available on a cut-price deal this summer. The Frenchman’s form has also taken a dip last season which suggests that maybe he is on the decline. All in all, Klopp would be better off opting for more proven talents or explore the possibility of giving his younger players a chance in his first XI next term.
