Liverpool are fighting it out with Chelsea for the signing of Nabil Fekir from Lyon. Here are five reasons Fekir will choose a transfer to Liverpool.
Liverpool are famous under Jurgen Klopp for fast paced, lightning football. Now the club are moving as quickly off the field as Mohamed Salah moves on it. The sudden transfer of Fabinho from Monaco yesterday signals a determination to do this summer’s transfer business in swift and clinical fashion.
Next on the transfer list is Lyon forward Nabil Fekir. The Frenchman has had a break out season with 23 goals and 9 assists from an attacking midfield position. He would fit in perfectly at Liverpool and is a priority for Michael Edwards and the transfer committee.
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However, Liverpool are not the only club who would like to bring Fekir to the Premier League next season. Chelsea have been heavily scouting him and are willing to battle it out with Liverpool for his signature.
The Blues are in real need of upgrading their strike force which was overly reliant on Eden Hazard last season. The £80 million signing of Alvaro Morata did not have the intended impact and they struggled to replace the goals scored by Diego Costa on their way to the title in 2016/17.
A few years ago that would mean a wave of depression over Liverpool fans who would resign themselves that the deeper pockets and better prospects at Stamford Bridge would easily beat out anything Liverpool have to offer.
But those days are gone. It is a much more even playing field for Liverpool against Chelsea. In fact Liverpool are considered favorites to nab his signing. And there is good substantial reasons to believe they will do just that. We have picked five reasons Nabil Fekir will choose Liverpool over Chelsea.
No. 1: Champions League Football
Nabil Fekir has already had a taste of Champions League football. In 2016/17 Lyon made the groups stage of the competition where they faced Juventus, Sevilla and Dinamo Zagreb. At that point he was a 22-year-old role player; the stars being Alexandre Lacazette and Corentin Tolisso who would move the following summer to Arsenal and Bayern Munich respectively.
They were knocked into the Europa League after finishing third in their group. That small taste of the biggest stage is what Fekir wants to have again.
They were once again in the Europa League this season and Fekir’s breakout Ligue 1 campaign secured Champions League football next season for the French club.
After busting a gut all year to qualify for the Champions League – PSG were out of sight for the title by New Year – he is hardly likely to join Chelsea in the Europa again next season.
Liverpool qualified for Champions League football next year with their end of season win against Brighton & Hove Albion. Even though Liverpool only came fourth in the Premier League they will not have to play two qualifying legs for Europe in August. UEFA changed the rules to allow the top four from the Premier League to go straight through to the group stage.
Fekir will get the chance to grace Europe’s best competition with Liverpool net season and experience the famous Anfield atmosphere on European nights.
No. 2: Jurgen Klopp
Who doesn’t want to play for Jurgen Klopp? He is one of the best man-managers in the world. He is an elite tactician. And he is a stellar bloke.
Have you ever had a boss that was dumb, or under qualified, or lazy, or mean, or unforgiving? sucks doesn’t it. Jurgen Klopp is not just an exceptional manager he is an exceptional boss.
The atmosphere he has created at Liverpool is phenomenal. There is a fine balance of fun and camaraderie with focus and intensity. He asks a lot from his players but they all seem to have smiles on their faces anyway.
The charismatic German has been a compelling figure for many of Liverpool’s recent high-profile signings. Virgil van Dijk and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both turned down bigger clubs with more recent success to join Klopp at Liverpool.
He has been instrumental in others such as Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita. Fekir will look at Salah in particular and wonder what Klopp might do for his productivity. Salah has gone from decent Premier League player to one of the best in the world in less than 12 months.
It is quite possible that Klopp could do exactly the same for Fekir over the 2018/19 season.
No.3: Stable Leadership
Antonio Conte is the Chelsea manager but for how long? The uncertainty at Stamford Bridge makes a move to London far less appealing for Nabil Fekir, or indeed for anyone.
There is a common expectation that Conte will leave Chelsea this summer. However we are over a week out from their FA Cup final victory, a few days out from June and the transfer window is already open.
Who is making the transfer decisions at Chelsea right now? Almost certainly not Conte. So does Fekir want to risk the biggest move of his career – as he is entering his prime – in the hands of club that cannot confirm their manager.
Reports are that Chelsea have lined up Maurizio Sarri from Napoli to succeed Conte. There is no guarantee for Fekir that he will fit in any new manager’s plans or be the kind of character they will like.
Roman Abramovich, Chelsea's billionaire Russian owner, has apparently immigrated to Israel after his British visa was not renewed https://t.co/42JuXBtBJD
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 29, 2018
The uncertainty with the Chelsea leadership does not stop there. It is unclear whether or not the club’s owner will be able to work for the club. Roman Abramovich has just become an Israeli citizen as he has struggled to get a work visa under tightened British working regulations.
Nothing is certain at Chelsea where as Liverpool have a manager and ownership working together at new levels of productivity. There is only one choice for Fekir on this matter.
No.4: Exhilarating Football
I don’t know if you watched Chelsea much last season but they rarely took the breath away. Their season was built on a solid defense; three center backs; two wing backs and N’golo Kante protecting it all.
While Nabil Fekir would be a signing to help improve their stagnant attack it would not solve the problem. The Blues need two or three attacking signings for them to even consider getting closer to Liverpool and Manchester City.
It is a dream scenario for Fekir at Liverpool. There is a system in place and already cooking on gas. He would come in and play a part of that. If the Reds stump up the rumored £60 million to bring him in, it is unlikely that he be a bench player.
He would be used in rotation with Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane. Some times he would play in the midfield as a ‘number 8’ style midfielder. The opportunities to play will be plentiful but without grinding his body down. There will be enough options to rest him when needed.
Players want goals and there are plenty of them to go around in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side.
No.5: Trophies and Glory
One year ago this would seem stupid. Chelsea were Premier League Champions and Liverpool had another trophy-less season. They had one again this year but the context has changed entirely. Chelsea are slipping and Liverpool are rising and they passed each other this year on their respective trajectories.
Liverpool made the Champions League final with relative ease. We all know how that turned out, but it was not because they were outclassed. Karius’ blunders and a Mohamed Salah injury allowed Real Madrid to get their third in a row.
Many rival fans will say that this year was a fluke. However there will be no-one – not a single club – that will want to be drawn against the Reds in Europe next season. The Anfield atmosphere was electric for the demolitions of Man City and Roma. That will be there in full force next year.
If Fekir does well at Liverpool he will taste glory. He will have songs and memes and banners in his honor. He will become a legend if he helps Liverpool to a sixth European Cup or first title in 29 years.
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The more you examine this transfer, the easier the decision look for Nabil Fekir to choose Liverpool above Chelsea. If Liverpool can get close to matching the Blues with wages then it will be the easiest decision in the world for the French star.