Lyon Want Nabil Fekir Contract Extension Amid Liverpool Transfer Rumours
Lyon are prepared to offer star forward Nabil Fekir a new contract in an attempt to draw a line under his Liverpool transfer saga.
The France international seemed set to complete a move to Anfield before Lyon announced a deal had collapsed and he would be staying with the Ligue 1 side.
When asked about the proposed transfer, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas said he has been in regular contact with the player and that he would be delighted to see Fekir sign fresh terms at the Groupama Stadium, per David Anderson of the Daily Mirror:
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"I spoke with Fekir the day after the night when we decided to stop negotiations with Liverpool. He was very calm. I immediately said to him that if he wanted to stay, we could do an extension. I've said it before, we don't need to sell. We have the capacity to keep Fekir."
The Lyon chief went on to say that they don't want to lose any of their key men and that they'll be looking to add new faces to their squad instead.
As relayed by Get French Football News, Aulas has said Real Madrid also hold an interest in bringing in the forward:
The story appears to be one one of the main transfer dramas of the summer, with Aulas seemingly happy to discuss the player's situation freely in the media.
As noted by Anderson, it's been reported that Liverpool were close to getting a deal done for Fekir, although the move was scuppered due to concerns over a serious knee injury picked up earlier in his career. It's said personal terms were agreed between the Premier League side and the forward.
The collapse of the deal was naturally disappointing for Liverpool supporters, as Fekir was one of the most exciting players in French football last term.
According to David Maddock of the Daily Mirror, the player still wants the switch to Anfield and is hoping a deal can be done in the coming weeks:
It would be intriguing to see how Fekir would fit in at Anfield, as the role he played so well last season for Lyon—in support of a centre-forward—didn't exist in this Liverpool side when they were at their best in 2017-18.
Nevertheless, whether operating in a more withdrawn role, as a forward or from out wide, Fekir is gifted and intelligent enough to have an impact.
There are so many positive attributes to his play:
Fekir is now in a state of flux, although the offer to stay at Lyon may be tempting. After all, having emerged through the club's academy, there's clearly an affinity between him and the supporters, while the team will also play UEFA Champions League football next season.
Yet the chance to move to a club like Liverpool or potentially Real Madrid doesn't come around often. It's why, if a transfer can be revived, you'd expect Fekir to seize the chance of a fresh challenge elsewhere.
