Latest news with #Fekir
Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool transfer collapsed after medical and it left £60m target left stunned
Jurgen Klopp pinpointed Nabil Fekir as a key target for Liverpool in 2018 and despite the Frenchman having agreed to the move, it sensationally collapsed as the midfielder told his side of the story Nabil Fekir admitted he was baffled as to why his transfer to Liverpool collapsed. The Frenchman was a key target for Jurgen Klopp in the summer of 2018 and was looked at by fans as the replacement of Philippe Coutinho who had left for Barcelona earlier that year in January. With a reported fee of £58.5million having been agreed with Olympique Lyon for Fekir 's services, the attacking midfielder underwent a medical and had agreed personal terms with the Premier League giants. But in a surprising twist, his impending move to Anfield collapsed with reports suggesting that it was a knee issue during Fekir's medical that caused the transfer to break down. He had missed a majority of the 2015/16 season after rupturing his right ACL during international duty before suffering two further knee injuries during his time in France. The 31-year-old ended up staying one more season with his boyhood club before leaving the next summer to La Liga side Real Betis for a signficantly lower price of £18m. Fekir - who earned 25 France caps between 2015 and 2020 - spoke out on his failed move to the Reds in 2019 as he dispelled rumours that it was the cause of knee that ended his dreams of playing for Liverpool. "The truth, why the transfer to Liverpool did not work out, I don't even know it myself," Fekir said to French sports paper L'Équipe. "I passed my medical and after that, they decided not to sign me after all. What was said is not the truth," he insisted. "My knee is good - I had a quick medical check at Clairefontaine - my knee wasn't even mentioned. But the worst thing is the idea that people could suggest that it's because of my family that the transfer didn't happen. "It's a lie. But you have to live with it. The attempt to spread this pseudo physical problem into the world of course had an influence on other clubs potentially interested as well." Following the failed move, Fekir - who joined Al Jazira last year - had cut ties with his agent Jean-Pierre Bernes who claimed that it was the midfielder's knee issues that was the problem. Fekir would have joined Alisson Becker, Fabinho, Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri at Liverpool who went on to win the Champions League in their first season in Merseyside. An attacking midfielder has once again become a key target for the English champions who are closing in on securing Florian Wirtz. They've agreed a deal worth £116m, including add-ons, with Bayer Leverkusen to sign the German superstar. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd hit Antony sale snag as ruling prevents Real Betis from repeating 'Fekir method'
Antony has proved a revelation since moving to Real Betis from Manchester United on loan. However, the Spanish side are now facing a battle to sign the winger permanently Real Betis may be unable to sign Manchester United star Antony permanently this summer as a new rule means they can no longer spread transfer fees over several years. Antony has been a revelation since moving to Betis on loan in January. Yet the ruling has damaged their dreams of him remaining in Betis colours. The La Liga side have frequently taken advantage of the regulation, most notably with their ex-French star Nabil Fekir, whose fee to former club Lyon was spread over seven years. Part of the amortisation was even still pending when Fekir left Betis last summer for Emirati side Al Jazira. Reports now suggest that United are aiming to recoup at least around £40million of the £81m they initially paid Ajax for Antony. However, Betis could struggle to stump up such cash as the rule allowing clubs to split the cost, a process they would have looked at to secure Antony, has now been changed by La Liga President Javier Tebas. This is a bid to align with UEFA's rules that limit instalment payments to a maximum of five seasons for clubs that do not exceed their limits. Betis agreed a £16.7m, plus £8.5m in variables, with Lyon to bring Fekir to the club in 2019. This amount was initially planned to be paid over four seasons, with the player signing until 2023. Yet in January 2022, Fekir extended his contract by three more seasons until 2026, allowing Betis to spread the cost over more years, which became seven in total. The new rule would have prevented a situation where, as Fekir left last Betis summer with around £5.9m still left to be paid to Lyon, this was almost covered by the fee paid by the UAE side. Antony, 25, has been one of the key factors in Betis' resurgence in the second half of this season. The impact of the Brazilian winger has been spectacular, bagging five goals and four assists in 17 games as they now sit sixth in the table and are in the Europa Conference semi-finals, where they are set to face Fiorentina this week. Those at Betis are optimistic about him staying, with the club's CEO, Ramon Alarcon, revealing that the player tells him every morning that he wants to stay. Yet it's likely the club will have to perform another exercise in financial engineering, using creativity and resources to convince United to part with the star, who is contracted at Old Trafford until 2027. It's also believed that United do not want to sanction another loan for the former Ajax man. Antony's loan fee has only cost Betis £1m net, as they cover a portion of his salary. Bonuses will be paid if they reach the Champions League or win the Conference League, however. Despite their issues surrounding a permanent move, Betis chief Manu Fajardo confirmed over the weekend that the club were determined to find a way to keep the player. He said: "It is a source of satisfaction on a personal level [to have brought Antony to Real Betis], but it is the result of teamwork. Although I am responsible for the sporting management, there are many people involved in this signing. It's still early, but we will try in different ways to do everything possible to continue enjoying Antony."
