When it comes to frontlines, Liverpool’s trifecta of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino will go down in history as one of the most lethal in recent memory.
But there may have been a fourth name to complete the set and extend it to a devastating quartet, had not been for a big-money transfer collapsing at the final obstacle — and Nabil Fekir is now left to picture what might have been for his career if it had gone through.
Before the days of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez dazzling the fans at Anfield, Liverpool found it somewhat tougher to land their top targets in the transfer window. In fact, the Reds reluctantly sold star playmaker Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in a then-record £142million deal.
With money to spend, Klopp went about trying to find the successor to Coutinho, who had scored 26 goals in 56 appearances for the German. Replacing his goals and undeniable creative quality in the final third would be a tall order, but the German felt he had found his man in Fekir, who had been starring for Lyon in France.
The attacking midfielder, also wanted by Barcelona and Juventus, was in sensational form when the Merseyside outfit approached him. He finished the 2017-18 campaign with 23 goals in all competitions, making him one of the top goalscoring midfielders in Europe, and it was no surprise when title challengers Liverpool lined up a move. But it was a personal touch from Klopp, with a private phone call that persuaded Fekir to join his side.
Widespread reports at the time had suggested the Reds had agreed a £53m fee with his club and Fekir was on his way for a medical to Melwood, the club’s former training base. Reflecting on the timeline of the move with BetisTV and Moveistar+, Fekir revealed just how close he came to sealing his high-profile switch.
“Everything was closed,” he said. "I passed all the interviews, I spoke with Jurgen Klopp, he told me that he loved me. We all did it and, when we were about to sign, there were problems with my representative and the negotiation broke down.”
As it happened, there were concerns amongst the Liverpool medical staff over the strength of Fekir’s knee which would leave him susceptible to injury after suffering a cruciate ligament rupture back in 2016. But Fekir strenuously denied that it was the actual issue. “They said it was because I had knee problems, but the truth has been proven over time. My knee is super good,” he added.
He also said: “Of course I was disappointed not to go to Liverpool, very disappointed because Liverpool are a great club. 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.”
Despite Fekir's attempts to blame his former representative, Jean-Pierre Berne, the French agent played down Fekir's claims. He insisted that a combination of the player’s knee injury and the involvement of another agent were responsible for the deal falling through.
But regardless of what the reasons were, the outcome was the same. Fekir never got his dream move to Liverpool and stayed at Lyon for another season as Klopp moved on to sign another target, Naby Keita, from RB Leipzig for £56m.
The Frenchman then joined Real Betis for just £17m in 2019 — a third of what Liverpool were willing to pay — and hit out at the “incredible amount of lies” that had been released about his botched transfer. He has gone on to become a key figure for Betis, working under former Man City and West Ham coach Manuel Pellegrini. And while he had been linked with Newcastle in January, the 29-year-old is happy with life in Seville.
“I don’t think about the offers. I am very happy here. I am learning every day and I hope it can continue like this,” he said. “The fans love me, it gives me a lot of joy and I want to give it back to them on the pitch. You never know in football, but the truth is that now I don’t think about offers. I’m at Betis and I’m very happy here.”
Since his move fell apart four years ago, the likes of Salah, Mane and Firmino have each won the Premier League and Champions League, along with the FA Cup and Club World Cup. Fekir has a sole Copa del Rey final winners’ medal to his name — along with the 2018 World Cup with France where he played a minor part.
While Fekir may not think about other clubs’ interest at present, the attacker would be forgiven for pondering at what his life in Liverpool might have been like.
