Nabil Fekir came agonisingly close to joining Liverpool last summer. The transfer fee had been agreed, with personal terms also sewn up. The player had even done his in-house media interviews with LFC TV to express his delight at joining the club.
But there would be a late twist in the deal. His medical brought to attention an old knee issue Fekir had been carrying for a number of years, which made Liverpool hesitant to fork over the rumoured £52million fee for the player. When they attempted to renegotiate with Lyon, the deal fell apart.
Many had expected Jurgen Klopp's side to go in for the player a second time this summer, similar to how they approached the Virgil van Dijk transfer. The Frenchman was also set to be available for a lesser fee as well, with only one year remaining on his contract.
However, it now appears that any such notions have been put to bed.
Le Parisien are reporting that Fekir is set to join Spanish side Real Betis, who are close to agreeing a €30million fee with Lyon. He is expected to sign a five-year contract.
This would be a bit of a surprising move for the 25-year old, who has been linked with some of the continent's biggest clubs over the last two years. It may be a reflection of his disappointing form last season, where he managed only nine goals in the league, half the amount compared to the season before.
While Liverpool do not really have a player of his ilk in the squad, they clearly felt that this was not a transfer worth readdressing.
There has been a noticeable lack of activity in the transfer window at Anfield this summer. Jurgen Klopp has indicated that they are open to bringing in some new faces, although there does not seem to be any deals forthcoming.
