Jurgen Klopp Denies Deals for Nabil Fekir, Ousmane Dembele amid Rumours
Jurgen Klopp downplayed rumours Liverpool are pursuing transfer deals for Lyon attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir and Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele
The Reds' manager made the comments after seeing his side lose 1-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Sunday, per Goal's Neil Jones:
For his part, Jones offered a take on both rumours:
Talk of a deal being done for Fekir began earlier Sunday when French source RMC Sport(h/t Metro) reported a fee of £62 million had been agreed with Lyon. Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier was said to be involved in the negotiations.
However, a rebuttal soon came from Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas, per the Ligue 1 club's official Twitter account:
Signing Fekir would be a coup for any club after the 24-year-old has scored 22 goals and provided eight assists in all competitions. Those are impressive numbers from a midfielder with the technique, vision and scoring touch to suit Klopp's expansive style of play.
Klopp is far from short creative talents in the final third, though. Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah are arguably the most feared front three in Europe.
Yet the Reds lost the guile of Philippe Coutinho from deeper when the Brazil international joined Barcelona during the January transfer window. Injuries to Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have thinned Klopp's attacking midfield options further.
Klopp may not need Fekir nor Dembele, but his interest in the latter makes perfect sense. Dembele has the pace and versatility Klopp covets from his forwards.
Like Mane and Salah, the Barca ace can supply and score goals from either flank or through the middle. However, injuries have wrecked his first season at the Camp Nou, raising doubts about his future in La Liga.
RMC (h/t Get French Football News) also reported the Reds have already approached Barcelona about Dembele. GFFN noted how prior to Dembele joining Borussia Dortmund from Rennes in 2016, "Klopp personally travelled to Paris in an attempt to convince him to join Liverpool, which failed."
Klopp could be playing his cards close to his chest about two transfer targets sure to excite Liverpool fans. He could also be mindful that fixing a suspect defence should be the Anfield club's bigger focus when the market opens again this summer.
