(Lyon & Fra)
A year after suffering the emotional
upheaval of having a £53million move
to Liverpool nixed at the 11th hour, the
much-coveted playmaker will be keeping
his fingers crossed that he is not left at
the altar in the next transfer window.
It was suggested at the time that an
in-depth medical scuppered the deal,
that an underlying knee issue had come
to light. But in no way can the 25-year-
old Lyon skipper be described as on
his last legs. Within a month of his
Merseyside move falling through, he
helped France win the World Cup –
appearing as a substitute in six games- and he has started all but a handful of
his club’s competitive fixtures this season.
With only 12 months left on his current
contract and no renewal talks planned,
OL are bound to be tempted to cash in.
An expert in selling for big bucks and
re-investing in younger models, Lyon
president Jean-Michel Aulas will probably
grant exit visas this summer to a couple
of his most bankable stars, and the smart
money is on Fekir being one of them.
While some French sources are
convinced Fekir’s abortive Liverpool
switch has shaved off a substantial
portion of his market value, Aulas will
have other ideas. If his asking price
is not met, the plug will be pulled.
Assailed with questions about his
future, Fekir has said: “I don’t know
what I want to do next season. No, I really
don’t. As I often repeat, I’m very happy at
OL. The president and everyone else hasfaith in me. Each season is different. We’ll
have to see what happens.
“My on-off transfer to Liverpool? That’s
life. This is part and parcel of being a
footballer. My knee is fine. This sort of
thing makes you stronger, makes you
work harder.”
Among those watching developments
in Lyon with bated breath are Bayern
Munich, a side in desperate need of
greater craft in the attacking third, while
returning Real Madrid coach Zinedine
Zidane is thought to be a fan. So too are
the decision-makers at Chelsea, who
could turn to him should Eden Hazard
bid farewell to Stamford Bridge.
On Lyon’s books since the age of 12,
Fekir is the embodiment of French flair:
imaginative, cheeky and a proven source
of assists, goals and all-round magic. His
sort of genius always will be in demand.
Nick BidwellNABIL FEKIR
MOST WANTED Headline acts
“My on-off transfer to Liverpool?
That’s life. This is part and parcel
of being a footballer”