One-time Liverpool target Nabil Fekir could yet make a move to the Premier League.
The Lyon captain is reportedly a target for Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea in the January transfer window though they will face stiff competition from Bayern Munich.
France Football magazine says those two clubs are leading the race to sign Fekir, who was so close to joining Liverpool for a fee of around €60million in the summer.
The same magazine states that Chelsea have looked at Fekir believing they may lose Eden Hazard in the summer. Chelsea scouts had Fekir watched when Lyon beat Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season and liked what they saw.
Bayern Munich signed Corentin Tolisso from Lyon 18 months ago and the article says there is a good relationship between the clubs which would smoothe any potential move.
Fekir’s proposed move to Anfield collapsed at the eleventh hour though a report this week suggests it wasn’t because of an injury. The Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas stated that he pulled the plug on the move because of a “change of heart” from Liverpool.
He is quoted as saying: “At the final moment, the three parties did not find an agreement, but not just Liverpool and Lyon who had had an agreement.
There was a change of heart from Liverpool’s point of view, as we were in a tight situation in that Nabil was about to go to the World Cup, we decided to finish (talks). Nabil at the time was OK with all of that.”
Lyon want the player to stay and are ready to offer him a new contract but the lure of the Premier League could prove hard to resist.