Liverpool’s Champions League final showdown with Real Madrid in Kiev looks set to be a springboard for the start of the club’s transfer business.
The Reds are expected to make their move for Lyon captain Nabil Fekir amid accelerating speculation that Saturday’s 3-2 win over Nice represented his last game for the French club.
Reports emerged during that contest that a deal worth in the region of £62million had been agreed, with Fekir leaving the field in the 83rd minute to a standing ovation from home supporters seemingly aware of his likely departure.
Talks over a deal to bring Fekir to Merseyside will begin after this weekend’s final, according to French outlet L’Equipe, as translated by GFFN.
Breaking | Liverpool will contact Lyon after the Champions’ League final to open formal discussions over the transfer of Nabil Fékir, according to tomorrow’s L’Équipe.
— Get French Football (@GFFN) May 20, 2018
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The latest update marks a conflicting step-back on rumours elsewhere in France that a deal was ‘99% complete’, with the British media similarly maintaining that there is yet to be contact between the two parties.
An explanation for the latter is perhaps the club’s added determination to prevent leaks of transfer updates after being forced to apologise to Southampton for an illegal approach for Virgil van Dijk last summer.
Since then, few on home soil have been at hand to anticipate the deal for RB Leipzig’s Naby Keita or the January announcement of Van Dijk.
Liverpool’s intensified pursuit of Fekir could coincide with the departure of Emre Can, who is expected to complete his free transfer to Juventus after the final.