Olympique Lyonnais striker had already picked his new shirt number at Liverpool before the bombshell that saw the 24-year-old’s move to Anfield called off, according to L’Equipe.
The reputable French publication reveal that the Reds were incredibly close to pulling off a move for the goal machine, who scored 23 goals last season, having seen him complete his medical as well as a fee being agreed between the clubs, before the Ligue 1 side sensationally pulled the plug on his exit.
The transfer saga, which saw numerous reports circulating over how the move was progressing, ended in spectacular fashion when Lyon announced that he would be remaining in France after a breakdown of talks.
Nabil Fekir reste à l’OL https://t.co/RiE3st94Vq
— Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) June 9, 2018
Opinion
Whatever went wrong behind the scenes, it came at the last possible moment, for it seemed Fekir would be dazzling the Kop next season. To have picked his shirt number means absolutely everything else must have gone through, and all that was left to do was to put pen to paper on the final deal. There were probably shirts being printed in the Liverpool store when the shocking revelation was announced and Lyon dropped the bombshell that he would be remaining after such protracted negotiations. Still, after getting over the bitter disappointment, it is time for Liverpool to move on and go and find another star to help back up the likes of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane at Anfield. It also means there is a certain shirt number still vacant, and there may be a different name choosing to take it on before the summer is out.