Liverpool's hottest linked transfer this summer seemed to finally become a coup for the club. On June 7th, it was confirmed by all the most reliable club sources: Paul Joyce even gave the monetary amount of the transfer (£48.4 million). 24 hours later, the rumors of a delay began to surface. Another 24 hours later, Lyon made a statement confirmed failed negotiations with Liverpool to sell Fekir and that he would be staying. What happened in less than 24 hours that this deal would fall apart so quickly?
What Happened:
Getting straight to the point, the main concern in signing Nabil Fekir for the club was his injury history. In the 2015-16 season, Fekir ruptured a knee ligament and missed a substantial amount of time, which Transfermarkt notes included 39 games for Lyon. Since then, he has missed time in the 2016-17 season, and this past season, both with knee problems. James Pearce and the Liverpool Echo claimed that the club sought a second opinion on the knee problems, but "those fears were quickly erased." Still, just today on The Anfield Wrap Melissa Reddy spoke about the failed transfer and noted that after two scans of the knee, Liverpool did not like what they saw and their faith in it holding up throughout his time with Liverpool seemed to waver.
There is still more to the story in the future than where today's news ends. Paul Joyce in an article in The Times noted that negotiations could continue after the World Cup, Reddy in today's interview claimed that Lyon were still happy to sell Fekir to Liverpool, and Lyon's English Tweet announced halting of negotiations included the phrase "While Liverpool were a priority for Nabil" which implies the player's interest in the club as well. The interest of the parties does not seem to be the problem, and that is a good sign for fans who want Fekir in red next season.
Even still, there is more to this story. And that is where things get hazy. This is what we know with near certainty:
1. Liverpool and Lyon were in negotiations for Nabil Fekir at some point in the past few weeks, to the point that a deal was agreed to.
2. Personal terms were agreed to with the player and a fee (plus add-ons) were given.
3. The player passed at least one medical, perhaps two.
4. Liverpool were not fully convinced with the knee of Fekir.
These are statements that we can examine from multiple reliable Liverpool sources and acknowledge as having a VERY strong likelihood of truth. After these statements, however, things being muddied. There are generally three lines of thought:
1. Liverpool wanted to renegotiate an already agreed upon transfer fee, Lyon did not appreciate this, and talks are now off till the end of the World Cup.
2. Liverpool annoyed Lyon by requesting to renegotiate and have effectively called off the transfer.
3. Liverpool have decided to pull out of the deal because of concerns over the medical health of Fekir.
In truth, no one knows the full story. Scenario number two seems somewhat unrealistic given how Reddy has claimed Lyon are willing to sell still and David Maddock of The Mirror included this quote in an article today (to which I will link below and you should read as it includes a great deal of information):
'Lyon though, have looked at ways of restructuring the terms of the £53million transfer, which would reflect concerns relating to knee surgery the France international underwent. The onus is now on their president Jean-Michel Aulas to come up with an agreement which can bring Liverpool back to the table, and while that remains a distant prospect, it is not impossible with the player still desperate for an Anfield switch, and Klopp still keen.'
This quote seems to go even farther in implied that it is scenario three, despite what Lyon may wish for the perception of the situation to be given their fairly hard-line stance in their statement in keeping Fekir. Again though, this is all just well-informed speculation, some sources seem to outright contradict themselves and no one truly knows where the deal currently lies. Fekir with a knee injury like his with a club like Liverpool, whose play style is of course very high-intensity, is a risk and the reward needs to be weighed by the board (who do not want to overspend) and by Klopp (who wants the best team available at all times).
Where to Go from Here:
It does seem that the deal is not dead, but with the problems of the deal, I think that the likelihood of it happening is rather slim. The first thing to address is the alternatives to Fekir, if Liverpool do so choose to pursue any. Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Clube de Portugal is now reportedly a free agent, along with fellow Sporting-mates Gelson Martins, Bas Dost, and William Carvalho, and will likely be a hot commodity. Manuel Lanzini of West Ham had some buzz around him, but with his own knee ligament injury with Argentina he, too, is now out of favor with Liverpool. Mario Gotze is a popular alternative to be suggested given his ties to Klopp, and his links to Liverpool two seasons ago, but with health concerns of his own this seems to be a bit against the grain. Thomas Lemar seems too expensive and Liverpool interest seems to have wavered as well since last season. The main point of listing all these other potential signings is that while there are other options, you can speculate plenty, but as shown with the Fabinho signing, it is difficult to pinpoint who exactly Liverpool are honing in on.
The other area of addressment is, of course, other signings. Attacking midfield is not the only position Liverpool want to strengthen this summer. Xherdan Shaqiri has been linked heavily to the club for cheap wing depth with a relegation clause from Stoke. The search for a number one goalkeeper seems to continue with Alisson links continuing. Transfer season has a tendency to drive fans a bit mad, it is called 'silly season' for a reason. The thrill of signing up shiny new players for a fan's favorite side is always exciting, and that's why you may see so much disappointment that the Fekir signing has fallen through. Liverpool fans have seen so many sagas go belly-up, and this seems to be another one. It is important to keep in perspective this entire situation. Liverpool's transfer board just pulled off a silent transfer of Fabinho that seemed to develop over an hour. They are not trying to harm this club, they are trying to find the best fit for the side while also making sure their investment will not fail down the road. The summer is long, and the fate of Fekir's deal will make fans nervous, but this story has already had many twists and turns. There could easily be more to come.
Follow me on Twitter @RMABTweets for more Liverpool coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Michigan basketball coverage and live-tweeting of events.
Maddock's Mirror Article: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-receive-xherdan-shaqiri-encouragement-12685253
What Happened:
Getting straight to the point, the main concern in signing Nabil Fekir for the club was his injury history. In the 2015-16 season, Fekir ruptured a knee ligament and missed a substantial amount of time, which Transfermarkt notes included 39 games for Lyon. Since then, he has missed time in the 2016-17 season, and this past season, both with knee problems. James Pearce and the Liverpool Echo claimed that the club sought a second opinion on the knee problems, but "those fears were quickly erased." Still, just today on The Anfield Wrap Melissa Reddy spoke about the failed transfer and noted that after two scans of the knee, Liverpool did not like what they saw and their faith in it holding up throughout his time with Liverpool seemed to waver.
There is still more to the story in the future than where today's news ends. Paul Joyce in an article in The Times noted that negotiations could continue after the World Cup, Reddy in today's interview claimed that Lyon were still happy to sell Fekir to Liverpool, and Lyon's English Tweet announced halting of negotiations included the phrase "While Liverpool were a priority for Nabil" which implies the player's interest in the club as well. The interest of the parties does not seem to be the problem, and that is a good sign for fans who want Fekir in red next season.
Even still, there is more to this story. And that is where things get hazy. This is what we know with near certainty:
1. Liverpool and Lyon were in negotiations for Nabil Fekir at some point in the past few weeks, to the point that a deal was agreed to.
2. Personal terms were agreed to with the player and a fee (plus add-ons) were given.
3. The player passed at least one medical, perhaps two.
4. Liverpool were not fully convinced with the knee of Fekir.
These are statements that we can examine from multiple reliable Liverpool sources and acknowledge as having a VERY strong likelihood of truth. After these statements, however, things being muddied. There are generally three lines of thought:
1. Liverpool wanted to renegotiate an already agreed upon transfer fee, Lyon did not appreciate this, and talks are now off till the end of the World Cup.
2. Liverpool annoyed Lyon by requesting to renegotiate and have effectively called off the transfer.
3. Liverpool have decided to pull out of the deal because of concerns over the medical health of Fekir.
In truth, no one knows the full story. Scenario number two seems somewhat unrealistic given how Reddy has claimed Lyon are willing to sell still and David Maddock of The Mirror included this quote in an article today (to which I will link below and you should read as it includes a great deal of information):
'Lyon though, have looked at ways of restructuring the terms of the £53million transfer, which would reflect concerns relating to knee surgery the France international underwent. The onus is now on their president Jean-Michel Aulas to come up with an agreement which can bring Liverpool back to the table, and while that remains a distant prospect, it is not impossible with the player still desperate for an Anfield switch, and Klopp still keen.'
This quote seems to go even farther in implied that it is scenario three, despite what Lyon may wish for the perception of the situation to be given their fairly hard-line stance in their statement in keeping Fekir. Again though, this is all just well-informed speculation, some sources seem to outright contradict themselves and no one truly knows where the deal currently lies. Fekir with a knee injury like his with a club like Liverpool, whose play style is of course very high-intensity, is a risk and the reward needs to be weighed by the board (who do not want to overspend) and by Klopp (who wants the best team available at all times).
Where to Go from Here:
It does seem that the deal is not dead, but with the problems of the deal, I think that the likelihood of it happening is rather slim. The first thing to address is the alternatives to Fekir, if Liverpool do so choose to pursue any. Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Clube de Portugal is now reportedly a free agent, along with fellow Sporting-mates Gelson Martins, Bas Dost, and William Carvalho, and will likely be a hot commodity. Manuel Lanzini of West Ham had some buzz around him, but with his own knee ligament injury with Argentina he, too, is now out of favor with Liverpool. Mario Gotze is a popular alternative to be suggested given his ties to Klopp, and his links to Liverpool two seasons ago, but with health concerns of his own this seems to be a bit against the grain. Thomas Lemar seems too expensive and Liverpool interest seems to have wavered as well since last season. The main point of listing all these other potential signings is that while there are other options, you can speculate plenty, but as shown with the Fabinho signing, it is difficult to pinpoint who exactly Liverpool are honing in on.
The other area of addressment is, of course, other signings. Attacking midfield is not the only position Liverpool want to strengthen this summer. Xherdan Shaqiri has been linked heavily to the club for cheap wing depth with a relegation clause from Stoke. The search for a number one goalkeeper seems to continue with Alisson links continuing. Transfer season has a tendency to drive fans a bit mad, it is called 'silly season' for a reason. The thrill of signing up shiny new players for a fan's favorite side is always exciting, and that's why you may see so much disappointment that the Fekir signing has fallen through. Liverpool fans have seen so many sagas go belly-up, and this seems to be another one. It is important to keep in perspective this entire situation. Liverpool's transfer board just pulled off a silent transfer of Fabinho that seemed to develop over an hour. They are not trying to harm this club, they are trying to find the best fit for the side while also making sure their investment will not fail down the road. The summer is long, and the fate of Fekir's deal will make fans nervous, but this story has already had many twists and turns. There could easily be more to come.
Follow me on Twitter @RMABTweets for more Liverpool coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Michigan basketball coverage and live-tweeting of events.
Maddock's Mirror Article: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-receive-xherdan-shaqiri-encouragement-12685253
Need to get Martins, Draxler, or Guedes to go along with Shaqiri. Really bummed about Fekir but it's better than having paid 50mil only to have him end up like Sturridge.
ReplyDeleteThe Sporting guys released out of their contracts (Martins and Fernandes especially) really intrigue me. I think Shaqiri is a nice low-budget signing as well, but would love to see a complimentary attacking midfielder brought in too. Completely agree about Fekir, if the club sees reason for concern in his future health, I would not take that risk.
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