Liverpool were inches from completing a £53million transfer before the deal collapsed in a rare set of circumstances
Tom Sunderland Sports Writer
10:13, 03 Feb 2026
Nabil Fekir had given the thumbs up to Liverpool before his £53million move fell apart(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
For every top-tier transfer that’s completed, there are legions more that showed potential before falling by the wayside. However, Liverpool’s near-signing of Nabil Fekir in the summer of 2018 came closer than most to being pushed over the line.
In fact, the Frenchman even underwent a medical with the Reds, who then pulled the plug after allegedly discovering an issue with his knee. Personal terms were agreed with the player, who had even featured in photo shoots prior to his £53million move from Lyon being confirmed.
But while Liverpool communicated the cancellation was down to a purported knee cartilage issue, Fekir told a different story. The attacking midfielder also refuted claims from his former agent, Jean-Pierre Bernes, who suggested Fekir’s brother-in-law turned up at Liverpool demanding a commission from the transfer.
“Lots of lies were told, and they affected me,” he told L’Equipe in 2019: “Especially those told about my family. It hurt them and me. Especially when you know that what’s being told is false.
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“What was said is not the truth. My knee is good – I had a quick medical check at Clairefontaine [the headquarters of France’s national team] – my knee wasn’t even mentioned. If my knee had been in such a bad state, would [then-Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas] have made [a sufficient offer to keep the player]?”
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At the time of their interest in Fekir, Liverpool were attempting to fill the creative void left by Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian joined Barcelona in a ground-breaking transfer worth up to £142m only months prior.
Less than a year after the proposed move to Merseyside fell apart, Fekir parted ways with Bernes as his representative. It was later in 2019 that the intermediary confessed he was “ashamed” of how Fekir’s brother-in-law supposedly acted when his relative was so close to joining Jurgen Klopp‘s ranks.
Speaking to Canal Plus, Bernes recalled how said family member insisted negotiations started with his involvement. Bernes described the situation as “surreal,” but Fekir said even he didn’t know why the move failed, suggesting any concerns about his knee were wildly exaggerated.
Nabil Fekir joined Real Betis from Lyon(Image: Getty)
“But the worst thing is the idea that people could suggest that it’s because of my family that the transfer didn’t happen,” he continued. “It’s a lie. But you have to live with it. You want the truth? Even I don’t know – I promise you!
“I did my medical and then [Liverpool] decided not to sign me. At some point they wanted to have me believe it was because of my knee – but an excuse needed to be found. The medical tests that I did at Clairefontaine were very clear – my knee is perfectly fine and I feel fine. There are no issues at all with my knee.”
In the end, the 25-cap former France international remained at Lyon for one more year prior to joining Real Betis in 2019. He continued to impress in Seville and helped Betis win the Copa del Rey in 2022.
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Fekir, 32, was also part of the France team that lifted the World Cup crown under Didier Deschamps in 2018. He later joined United Arab Emirates side Al Jazira in the summer of 2024, where he won the UAE League Cup last year.
As it turns out, Fekir has managed to avoid major injury troubles for the most part during his career. He suffered a torn cruciate ligament back in September 2015 that sidelined him for around six months, then missed an almost identical period when he suffered the same injury in February 2023.
To Liverpool’s credit, swerving the player’s signature didn’t impact their fortunes much under Klopp. The signings of Naby Keita, Fabinho and Xherdan Shaqiri in the summer of 2018 preceded an iconic Champions League title the following year, and the club won its first league title in three decades just 12 months later.