Sadio Mane Praises Nabil Fekir Amid Liverpool Transfer Rumours

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has said he's excited by rumours linking Nabil Fekir with a possible move to the club.

Speculation surfaced on Sunday that the Reds were looking at the Lyon skipper, who is reportedly on his way out of the Ligue 1 side at the end of the campaign.

When asked about the buzz by SFR Sport (h/t James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo), Mane spoke of his admiration of Fekir and how he would potentially make the Reds' attack even better.

"He is a top player, we would be happy seeing him with us," he said. "If he comes he'll do great things with us. Yes, it will be like fire if he comes."

It was reported by L'Equipe (h/t Get French Football News) that Fekir has reached an agreement with Lyon to leave at the end of the campaign.

As relayed by football writer Tom Williams, two separate outlets have reported that the playmaker is off to Liverpool in the upcoming window:

According to L'Equipe (h/t James Whaling of the Daily Mirror), Chelsea, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid are also interested in Fekir.

After Lyon's 3-0 win over Troyes on Sunday, club president Jean-Michel Aulas said "there hasn't been contact with Liverpool" and he was "a bit surprised by this story" as there is no stipulation in Fekir's contract that allows him to move on, per Pearce.

Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press

The same source carried quotes from Fekir in which he talked about the rumours. "I heard these rumours. For now, I am in Lyon," he said. "There are still two games left and we are preparing for them in the best way possible."

Tom Munns of the Liverpool Echo provided the response from Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp when quizzed on the links:

There's little doubt Fekir would be an exciting acquisition for the Anfield club and the Premier League as a whole.

Despite his potential, injury issues have previously prevented Fekir from reaching the highest level. But this year he's been played in his preferred position, stayed in shape and has excelled for the team.

He's been part of a tremendous attacking trio at the Groupama Stadium, as these numbers from OptaJean illustrated:

Although Mariano Diaz and Memphis Depay have both enjoyed fine seasons, Fekir is the man at the hub of Lyon's sparkling attacking play.

The 24-year-old is a smart manipulator the ball, able to dribble out of tight spaces and find team-mates with delicate passes. This term he's found the back of the net consistently, too, grabbing 17 Ligue 1 goals in addition to his seven assists.

It would be intriguing to see where Fekir would play at Liverpool if he was to join, as Klopp tends to play without a No. 10. Even so, the prospect of the France international linking with the likes of Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah is a tantalising one.