Liverpool are reportedly set to go back in for the transfer of Lyon star Nabil Fekir this summer after missing out on him last year.
The Daily Mirror translate a report from L’Equipe claiming Fekir is once again a top target for Liverpool as he heads towards the final year of his contract with his current club.
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The Mirror note that the France international looked like costing around £60million last summer, though there could be every chance that his contract situation means he’ll now be a little cheaper.
This could be good news for Liverpool, but should one Reds player be worried about his Anfield future given the persistent links with Fekir?
Nabil Fekir transfer to mean bad news for Roberto Firmino?
While most Liverpool fans absolutely love Roberto Firmino, there may be some sense in Jurgen Klopp thinking about a possible upgrade up front.
The Brazil international was at the absolute top of his game last season as he netted 27 goals in all competitions – four more than he’d managed in his previous two LFC seasons combined.
This season, however, Firmino has just 16 in 44 games in all competitions, with only 12 in the league. In his entire career he’s never managed more than 16 in a league campaign.
Of course, Firmino hasn’t always played as a striker and arguably still doesn’t operate as a traditional number 9, and there is no question he offers a great deal more than just goals to this side, almost playing midway between midfield and up front to link up with Liverpool’s main goal-scorers Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
Still, with Liverpool needing to maintain the very highest standards in order to compete for the biggest trophies, there may be some sense in looking for someone who can offer what Firmino does, but with added goals.
Man City and Tottenham have players like Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane who can do similar to what Liverpool’s front-man does, but they guarantee 20-25 goals or more every season.
Fekir is certainly not a player in that category, or at least not yet, but the 25-year-old scored 23 in all competitions last season, 18 of which came in Ligue 1. He has operated in a number of roles including as a striker, and seems like someone with the potential to get even more if he were playing at a better team.
There’s no guarantee he’d be an upgrade on Firmino – or that Klopp is even eyeing him up for that role – but it may be time for Liverpool to consider looking for someone who can add just that touch more quality up front just to make up that tiniest of gaps between themselves and City and the rest of Europe’s big boys.