The exit door is evidently open at Lyon for Nabil Fekir to pursue a step up in his career after the World Cup.
Lyon’s captain continues to be linked with a move to Liverpool, despite his current employers stating that negotiations had ended back on July 9.
Fekir had been set to join the Reds after the agreement of personal terms and a £53million fee, but saw the move squandered by concerns raised in his medical over a knee problem.
The issue supposedly dated back to his lengthy spell on the sidelines in 2015 with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, leading Liverpool to try and restructure the initially-agreed deal.
Lyon manager Bruno Gensio has confirmed that president Jean-Michel Aulas has paved the way for Fekir to leave the club if he wishes.
He told reporters: “I am working under the assumption that [Fekir] will stay with us,” per the Liverpool Echo.
“He wants to take the next step. The president has offered him the chance to leave. We will see after the World Cup. If Nabil is here, it makes my job easier.”
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Gensio added: “I would be happy to keep him. I think that he is looking at two possibilities: to stay to play the Champions’ League with us or to leave to join a bigger club.”
“I would have liked him to play more for France. There is still, I hope three matches to come with the French national team.”
Fekir has featured sporadically for his nation in Russia, with manager Didier Deschamps flaunting a plethora of attacking talent at his disposal.
With that in mind, it’s unlikely Lyon will be able to demand any significant increase on £53million if Liverpool do choose to re-enter negotiations.
It now seems difficult to comprehend the prospect of Liverpool abandoning the deal entirely having gone as far as conducting official club interviews ahead of Fekir’s expected unveiling first time round.