Real Madrid are reportedly stepping up their interest in Lyon attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir ahead of January after he snubbed summer transfers to Liverpool and Chelsea.
This is according to Don Balon, who suggest Lyon may be under pressure to sell the France international soon as his contract expires at the end of next season.
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Fekir has emerged as one of the finest players in Ligue 1 in recent times, and seems like he could benefit from a move to a bigger club and more competitive league.
Real Madrid could offer Mariano Diaz back to Lyon as part of any deal, according to Don Balon, though Fekir himself decided not to take up offers from Liverpool and Chelsea in January as he wanted more time with his current club.
It remains to be seen if this could change in the middle of the season, or indeed if Lyon’s desire not to lose the 25-year-old for free in the near future could force the player’s hand.
It remains to be seen if Liverpool and Chelsea could come back in for Fekir, with the latter in particular need of strengthening in attack amid doubts over Eden Hazard’s future, while players like Alvaro Morata and Willian also look off-form.
Liverpool could perhaps do with more depth in that area of the pitch as well, though they ended up signing Xherdan Shaqiri this summer, which may be enough for them in terms of options out wide and up front.