Reds not on brink of Nabil Fekir deal

Reports in France overnight suggested Fekir and his agent were due on Merseyside on Sunday for talks with the Reds, with there a possibility the player could undergo a medical should negotiations go well.

However, such a claim is premature, with Liverpool not anticipating any such significant movement this weekend.

Jurgen Klopp has targeted Fekir as a replacement for Philippe Coutinho, who left for Barcelona in a £142m deal in January.

Liverpool's recruitment staff have heavily scouted the 24-year-old during a course of a campaign in which he has excelled for Lyon, netting 23 goals and providing eight assists in 40 appearances in all competitions.

Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid are also understood to be interested in signing Fekir, who is a product of the Lyon youth academy.

However, his agent Jean-Pierre Bernes gave Liverpool a boost in their pursuit of the player when he declared on Saturday: “There is no contact with Bayern.”

Lyon have not given up hope of persuading the player to stay, with Fekir remaining open-minded in public declarations over his future.

However, reports in France have for some time suggested Anfield is his preferred destination.

Liverpool would prefer a deal is concluded ahead of the World Cup, with Fekir part of France's 23-man squad for the finals in Russia.

Fekir was an unused substitute as France beat Italy 3-1 on Friday night. Their final friendly is next Saturday against the United States before they begin their World Cup campaign against Australia seven days later.

Source: Liverpool Echo

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