Nabil Fekir was close to joining Liverpool in 2018, but the transfer deal collapsed leading to a move to Real Betis for the winger. At the time, there were rumours that a knee injury prevented the player from completing the switch, but he has now revealed that problems with his agents were the main reason behind the transfer collapsing.
‘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,’ he added.
‘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.’
At the time, Fekir was playing for Lyon, with whom he had been since 2013. The France international made 193 appearances for Lyon, scoring 69 goals and providing 46 assists across all competitions.
After the deal to Liverpool did not go through, he spent another season at the French club before making a move to La Liga side Real Betis in a €20 million move. Fekir has made 74 appearances for the Spanish side and has scored 12 goals, providing 13 assists.
