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Football

18th May 2018

Liverpool on high alert as £62m target prepares for Lyon farewell

Patrick McCarry

He got into the France World Cup squad ahead of the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Karim Benzema and Anthony Martial.

Nabil Fekir will help Lyon secure Champions League football if, this weekend, he helps them to overcome Nice on the final day of the Ligue 1 season.

Lyon currently sit in third and are a point (and far superior goal difference) better off than Marseilles. Win, lose or draw, though, it looks to be Fekir’s final game for the club.

The 24-year-old attacking midfielder has scored 23 goals in 39 appearances for the French side this season and chipped in with eight assists. He will hope to add to his 10 international caps when he travels to the World Cup with France this summer.

Before that, Fekir may yet secure himself a move to the Premier League. Having been linked with Arsenal over the past couple of seasons, Fekir is now reportedly near the top of Liverpool’s summer shopping list.

Pacy, a goal threat and a player that can feature in multiple positions across midfield and up front, he certainly fits the Jurgen Klopp mold. The Daily Star and Metro have both claimed Liverpool are willing to shell out £62m (€71m) to secure his services.

Fekir told France Football, earlier this week, that his focus for now is on finishing the season on a high with Lyon. His coach Bruno Genesio has all but flagged Fekir’s imminent departure on the official club website. He commented:

“We have to put aside everything related to emotion. For some, this may be the last game. It must give them even more strength because you have to say, ‘[I will] leave by qualifying this team in the Champions League’.

“There is also the World Cup. The very great players are able to ignore all this. I think Nabil will play a big match on Saturday.”

Having earned high praise from the likes of Zinedine Zidane and France boss Didier Deschamps in the past couple of seasons, Fekir would definitely come to the Premier League with a decent record and prestigious backing.