According to reports, Liverpool are close to signing Lyon midfielder Nabil Fekir for £52m. Fekir, 24, enjoyed the best season of his career till date, scoring 23 goals in all competitions for Lyon, who finished third in Ligue 1.
Due to his playmaking abilities, the Frenchman could finally be the player for the Reds to fill the No.10 role left vacant by Philippe Coutinho’s January move to Barcelona.
Lyon boss Bruno Genesio handed the captain’s armband to Fekir and he repaid his manager’s faith. He led the team from the front, showed plenty of aggression and determination to succeed at the highest level.
In terms of his playing style, Fekir loves to dribble and wriggle past defenders. The Frenchman is capable of breaking down stubborn defences and has the pace and vision to help his team during counter-attacks. With gifted technique, passing abilities and an eye for goal, the France international is a complete package.
Klopp has an array of midfielders in his ranks, despite the imminent departure of Emre Can to Juventus. To replace Can, the Reds have already signed Fabinho from AS Monaco and the Brazilian will join the likes of Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the list of midfielders.
But what would happen to the likes of Lallana, Wijnaldum and Chamberlain after Fekir joins Liverpool?
Lallana could only play a bit-part role for Liverpool this campaign. Recurrent injuries have hampered the England international’s progress at Anfield and as things stand, he is not a guaranteed starter under Klopp.
As far as Wijnaldum is concerned, the Dutchman blew hot and cold last season. The midfielder failed to stake his claim in Liverpool’s first team due to constant underwhelming displays. Just like Lallana, Wijnaldum’s position next season is in jeopardy, with Keita also set to arrive next month.
Speaking about Chamberlain, he became a real deal for Klopp after a slow start to his Liverpool career. Playing alongside Henderson and Can allowed Chamberlain to operate freely with high intensity and blistering pace.
Soon, the former Arsenal man became a fan favourite at Anfield. However, he is currently out with a knee ligament damage suffered during Liverpool’s Champions League semi-finals clash against Roma. While there is no confirmed return date for the midfielder, it will take a herculean task for Chamberlain to win back his place, following the arrivals of Fekir and Keita.
Back to Fekir, the Frenchman’s arrival at Liverpool could create a selection headache for Klopp. The German manager will have to create a system that is best suited to Fekir, who has battled back from serious injuries and is now ready to take the next step in his career.
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