Liverpool are claimed to be still working on a deal to sign Lyon attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir, with progress expected after the World Cup.
Fekir is part of the France squad who booked their place in Sunday’s final through a 1-0 victory over Belgium on Tuesday night.
Didier Deschamps’ side will take on either England or Croatia in Moscow, though Fekir’s bit-part role so far suggests he will be fortunate to feature at Luzhniki Stadium.
Regardless, his involvement in Russia has stalled any developments with a possible move to Merseyside, with Liverpool’s initial deal with Lyon breaking down at the beginning of June.
However, speaking to Get French Football News on Wednesday, RMC Sport journalist Loic Tanzi has maintained that the Reds’ “will come back” for the 24-year-old once the tournament ends.
Tanzi claims “everything had been sorted but the minor details,” with Fekir’s desire to play for Liverpool, and Jurgen Klopp‘s insistence he was his primary target, ensuring “the saga isn’t over.”
He speculated on the collapse of the previous agreement with the Ligue 1 side, with it being Tanzi’s opinion that “if it had been medical, Liverpool would have stopped the transfer right there and then.”
“At the moment negotiations seem to be going on,” he elaborated, contrary to suggestions in English media.
“There’s a possibility that they’re using his knee as a means of paying less, but in the end, they have the money and they know he wants to come.”
This raises the prospect that Liverpool, Lyon or Fekir’s representatives attempted to renegotiate at last minute, and the proximity to the World Cup saw this fail.
If this is the case, and Tanzi is to be believed, Liverpool could well revive their interest after Sunday.
The lack of concrete alternatives touted so far could be another indicator that the Reds have not given up on Fekir, while the Guardian‘s Andy Hunter has also added fuel to the fire.
Concluding his report on the Reds’ move for Stoke City winger Xherdan Shaqiri he claimed the deal “may yet be resurrected.”
Fekir’s move to Anfield was so close that he underwent media duties with LFCTV before joining up with the France squad, though this was not out of the ordinary due to his imminent flight to Russia.
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