Chelsea rejected the chance to sign Liverpool target Nabil Fekir
By Tushar Bahl
World Cup winner Nabil Fekir was linked with a move to Chelsea this summer, but the Blues decided against signing the Lyon playmaker.
Liverpool were interested in signing Fekir this summer, as they looked for a direct replacement for Philippe Coutinho. Fekir had looked set to join the Reds earlier this summer, but the move collapsed when Lyon decided to cancel talks after failing to agree a fee with the Champions League finalists.
It is thought that medical issues prompted the Reds to renegotiate and demand that Fekir be sold at a lower fee. But Lyon did not budge and the transfer broke down just days before the start of the World Cup.
More from Chelsea FC
- Tuchel has eyes on Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah
- Permanent move of Cobham graduate Lewis Hall to Newcastle United
- Chelsea are not pleased with the Lukaku-Vlahović swap deal
- Chelsea joins the race against Liverpool for Romeo Lavia
- Blues select Reece James as captain and Chilwell is new vice-captain
Following this, Lyon tried to cash in on their prized asset by offering him to Chelsea. But the Londoners had no interest in signing Fekir and rejected the opportunity to make a move for him, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has revealed in a press conference.
"“In the beginning, when we thought about our summer transfer window and how to organise the future squad, we thought that he [Fekir] was practically gone. We spoke with Chelsea representatives, and they had no interest at all in him. From then on, we realised we could change our plans [as he would stay].”"
Lyon captain Fekir led his side by example last season as he scored 23 goals and provided eight assists in 40 appearances in all competitions for the club. He looked set to become the latest Lyon player to leave for a big money fee, but a transfer away from Lyon never materialized. While he failed to get his dream move to the Premier League, Fekir still enjoyed a successful summer as he won the FIFA World Cup with France in Russia.
It remains to be seen if Liverpool or another club will aim to sign Fekir in January or next summer. But it looks unlikely that the 25 year old will remain at Lyon for much longer. His contract with Lyon expires in 2020 and the French side will be hoping to offload him by next summer, unless a new deal can be agreed.
Next. Chelsea should be thankful VAR has not been introduced. dark
Fekir has only featured once for Lyon this season, coming off the bench for an 11 minute cameo against Strasbourg last weekend.