James Pearce, a correspondent for Liverpool Echo, has always been a trusted name among the fans. In a world where transfer rumours and speculations can either be plausible or completely ridiculous, it is great to have a trustworthy insider to get us the real scoop and Pearce has been doing so for a while now.

Over the last day or two, Liverpool fans have been buzzing about a possible £62m summer deal for Nabil Fekir. The Lyon captain is a force to reckon with and he is regarded as one of the most talented playmakers across Europe.

His creativity and energy could go a long way towards filling the void left behind by Philippe Coutinho. French publication RMC Sport were the first ones to carry this news and although it was initially met with disbelief, the fans will be optimistic after Pearce’s recent article for Liverpool Echo.

In this piece, Pearce has reported Sadio Mane’s reaction to the transfer news. Now, of course, this is no concrete way to ascertain whether or not the deal is actually happening but given Pearce’s track record, he is known to rubbish illegitimate reports almost instantaneously.

However, in this report, he has not completely ruled it out. This only adds more fuel to the transfer fire and it does seem exciting. Fekir is a supremely talented midfielder and to imagine a player like him alongside the likes of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah is really enticing.

It remains to be seen if the deal works out in the first place but Pearce’s report is truly encouraging.