“A dark moment” - Nabil Fekir lifts lid on why his transfer to Liverpool from Lyon in 2018 broke down

Nabil Fekir has lifted the lid on the “dark moment” when he failed to join Liverpool at the 11th hour.

The France international looked set to move to Anfield from Lyon in the summer of 2018. The deal would have been worth €60 million.

Why Fekir’s transfer collapsed

At the time, it was said that an issue with Fekir’s knee during his medical was why the Reds pulled out of the transfer.

However, the attacking midfielder has refuted those claims and stated that his agent was instead responsible for the switch breaking down.

“It was a dark moment,” Fekir told The Times.

“I saw plenty of things which weren’t true. It was said the knee stopped me going to Liverpool but that wasn’t true.

“I went to Clairefontaine [France’s football centre near Paris], and they did all the proof [medical] and the knee was fine.

“I had a problem with my agent, my adviser. It was the agent [who was] responsible for the deal not going through.”

“Of course I was disappointed not to go to Liverpool, very disappointed because Liverpool are a great club.

“I met the coach, Jurgen Klopp, and it went well. After meeting him, I wanted to join Liverpool even more. He’s a good person.

“It was really difficult to deal with as I really wanted to go to Liverpool. It was a moment that was not easy for me.”

What happened next

After missing out on Fekir, Liverpool recruited Xherdan Shaqiri from Stoke for £13 million.

The Switzerland international helped the Reds win the Champions League in the 2018-19 season and then the Premier League title the following campaign.

Meanwhile, Fekir would leave Lyon to join Real Betis in the summer of 2019 for €19.75 million.

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