4 Things for Liverpool Fans to Know About Nabil Fekir After Reports of Imminent Transfer
Reports are gathering pace that Lyon star Nabir Fekir could be set to make a €70m switch to Liverpool this summer.
The French media seem fairly sure that the 24-year-old will be pitching up at Anfield with Jurgen Klopp next season, after supposedly coming to a 'gentleman's agreement' with the French side to allow him to leave.
€70m is a lot of money, even by today's standards. So just who is Nabil Fekir and what is he all about...?
1. He Is Lyon Through and Through
Fekir was born in Lyon in 1993, and joined the club's youth academy at the age of 12.
Interestingly, he was released a couple of years later on the basis of not being strong enough and joined Vaulx-en-Velin. He then joined Saint-Priest where he really began to shine.
It was at that point Lyon's rivals Saint-Etienne came sniffing, but Fekir waited patiently for his boyhood club to re-sign him, and re-sign him they did in 2011.
He first broke into Les Gones' first team in 2013, and has been a regular for a few seasons now at Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
Put simply, he loves his boyhood club, but evidently feels that now is the right time to go in pursuit of other ambitions.
2. He Has Versatility and Quality
Fekir has the ability to operate anywhere in the attacking areas and can even be dangerous from slightly deeper...(whisper it) a bit like Philippe Coutinho.
His best position is playing behind the main striker though, since he has excellent technical quality. He also boasts a fierce but cultured left foot, and extremely good vision to supply assists to the central striker and supporting wide men. He's not just a supplier though and is Lyon's top scorer this season with 22 in all competitions.
What's more, he's also pretty handy on set pieces.
Essentially, he has the potential to become a more than adequate replacement for the recently departed Coutinho.
3. He Has Strong Leadership Qualities
Despite his relatively tender age of 24, Fekir is already Lyon's captain and has shown himself to be a good leader both on and off the pitch.
He quickly became the new star man at the club following the summer departures of Alexandre Lacazette and Corentin Tolisso, and is respected by all of his teammates in the dressing room - these traits are sure to stand him in good stead at Anfield should he make the much anticipated move.
4. He Is a France International
France have an incredible pool of talent to choose from, and Fekir has had a few opportunities to shine for his country since getting his first cap in 2015.
To date, Fekir has 10 caps for his country and has scored one goal. He hasn't yet made himself an indispensable starter, but arguably needs to shine on a bigger platform that that of Lyon's in Ligue 1. He should get the nod to go to the World Cup after a fine season in 2017/18, where fans might get a glimpse of his ability.