Sports

Liverpool find fresh confidence in sealing £60million Nabil Fekir transfer

231

Major breakthrough: Liverpool confident of sealing £60m transfer after CL final — Nabil Fekir seems set for a switch to Liverpool (Picture: Getty)

Liverpool are confident they will win the race to sign Lyon star Nabil Fekir after a breakthrough in talks, reports claim.

The Lyon midfielder has been heavily linked with a transfer to Anfield this summer, but is also being watched by a host of other big-spending clubs.

Lyon had previously said only a very, very rich club could hope to secure Fekirs signature this summer, but their stance has now softened.

More: Football

The Telegraph claim a breakthrough in the last 24 hours has encouraged Liverpool to such a degree the Reds believe they are the stand-out frontrunners.

Liverpool will accelerate talks with Lyon next week, once the small matter of the Champions League final is dealt with.

Advertisement Advertisement

The Reds take on Real Madrid in Kiev on Saturday night and Jurgen Klopp is eager to follow up that game, whatever the result may be, with a massive summer signing.

Fekir is considered a direct replacement for the departed Philippe Coutinho, who left Liverpool for Barcelona in January.

The Frenchman has enjoyed a stellar season with 23 goals from midfield as well as eight assists.

Fekir has been at Lyon since he was 12 years old, but is eager to move onto a new challenge and has so far refused to pen a new deal.

Lyon's French midfielder Nabil Fekir (C) is congratulated by teammates forward Houssem Aouar (R) and French defender Ferland Mendy (L) after scoring during the French L1 football match between Olympique Lyonnais and OGC Nice at the Groupama Stadium in Decines-Charpieu near Lyon, central-eastern France on May 19, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE DESMAZESPHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/Getty Images — (Picture: AFP)

The 24-year-olds current deal expires in 2020 and Lyon have told Liverpool a bid of £60million would be enough to complete the transfer.

Fekir has done little to dampen speculation and added more fuel to the flames on Friday when he openly admitted he would be interested in joining Liverpool.

Why not?, was Fekirs response when asked if he could sign for Liverpool this summer.

epa06761281 A handout photo made available by the UEFA of Liverpool players (L-R) Jordan Henderson, Danny Ings, and James Milner arriving ahead of the UEFA Champions League final at IEV Airport in Kiev, Ukraine, 24 May 2018. Liverpool FC will face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final at the NSC Olimpiyskiy stadium in Kiev on 26 May 2018. EPA/UEFA / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES — Liverpool arrived in Kiev on Thursday (Picture: UEFA)

epa06761287 A handout photo made available by the UEFA of Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (L) arriving ahead of the UEFA Champions League final at IEV Airport in Kiev, Ukraine, 24 May 2018. Liverpool FC will face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final at the NSC Olimpiyskiy stadium in Kiev on 26 May 2018. EPA/UEFA / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES — (Picture: UEFA)

Klopp sees Fekir as the perfect man to fill the midfield hole left by Coutinho and believes the inventive Ligue 1 star can help cut the gap between Liverpool and Manchester City.

Liverpool dumped City out of the Champions League at the quarter-finals stage, but were easily outperformed by the Premier League champions domestically.