According to Liverpool legend Steve McManaman, the Reds won’t resurrect a deal to sign French attacker Nabil Fekir from Lyon this summer.
“The Fekir transfer I think was going to happen and it hasn’t happened, but I don’t think it’s a big problem, to be honest,” McManaman told the Express.
“I think they found a reason not to do the deal and they’ll move on to other targets. I think it looks as if it’s over, to be honest. From what I’ve heard I think it’s over.”
Fekir, 24, looked all set to join the Reds after completing his medical, only for the deal to spectacularly collapse at the 11th hour last week when the Merseysiders pulled out of a deal. Later, Ligue 1 outfit Lyon confirmed that the deal was off and Fekir would be staying in France.
Liverpool had hoped to conclude the transfer before the World Cup, where Fekir is representing France.
However, Jurgen Klopp and co. must move on to pursue other targets in the summer, having already signed Fabinho from AS Monaco. Fabinho will add a lot of strength and dynamism to our midfield next season, while Naby Keita is slated to arrive next month from RB Leipzig.
But Klopp should bring in a creative midfielder, someone in the mould of Philippe Coutinho, who left Anfield for Barcelona in January. Fekir would have been the ideal Coutinho replacement at Anfield as the Frenchman is adept at playing in the midfield as well as in the attack.
There is a still a lot of time left in the transfer window and Klopp must prioritise bringing in a creative, quick playmaker to bolster his attacking options ahead of next season. The void left by Coutinho still needs to be filled despite the Brazilian’s departure causing very little problem for the Reds this past campaign.
