Liverpool ‘begin negotiations with Lyon for forward Nabil Fekir’

Liverpool have started their attempts to recover from losing the Champions League final by beginning negotiations for striker Nabil Fekir, according to reports in France.

Reds manager Jurgen Klopp has Lyon forward Fekir, a member of the French squad for the 2018 World Cup, as his No 1 target for the summer transfer window.

The 24-year-old has indicated he would leave Lyon, his boyhood club, in the summer, and it is now thought that official negotiations with Liverpool are in progress. 

The 24-year-old France international forward is a leading transfer target for Liverpool

French newspaper L’Equipe report that talks between the Premier League club and the Ligue 1 side have started, and that Fekir and Klopp have already met.

They report Lyon want €53million for Fekir – around £60m – for a forward who was key in bringing Champions League football back to the club, thanks to their third place finish in Ligue 1. 

Fekir discussed his future on French television on Sunday, where he gave another clear hint that he will leave Lyon this summer.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is aiming to rebuild his side after Champions League heartbreak

He told Telefoot: ‘We have not yet had discussions with the president (Lyon chief Jean-Michel Aulas), but he knows my desires. We will have a good exchange in the coming days.’

Fekir would bolster a Liverpool front line which was not able to fire the club to a sixth European trophy, as they lost the Champions League final on Saturday, 3-1 to Real Madrid. 

Liverpool’s lack of attacking depth was thrown into sharp focus when leading scorer Mohamed Salah was forced off after half an hour in Kiev with a shoulder injury. 

Having been on top until that point, the Reds failed to consistently pressurise Real after Salah’s departure, and were eventually beaten.