Picture this: it’s 2018 and Jurgen Klopp – and the Liverpool higher-ups – are looking for a new creator-in-chief to take them to the next level. Nabil Fekir is at the top of their shopping list but, as the story goes: the fact that the Frenchman failed his medical and a cloud surrounded the Anfield club’s transfer strategy.
Philippe Coutinho’s big-money move to Barcelona left a gaping hole in Liverpool’s starting line-up – and Olympique Lyonnaissuperstar Fekir, an attacking midfielder by trade, was earmarked as the Brazilian’s perfect replacement. But it wasn’t meant to be.
It all came crashing down in the final stages and the World Cup winner – a 25-cap France international – failed his Liverpool medical. But, according to the aforementioned Klopp, it was actually a blessing in disguise as it opened up space and funds, especially, for the German tactician to bring in another target.
Who is that, I hear you ask?
It was goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who moved to Anfield in the summer of 2018 from Serie A outfit AS Roma – and neither party has looked back since: he’s been crucial to the club’s revolution from obscurity to being a force to be reckoned with.
The Story Behind Fekir’s Failed Liverpool Medical
Frenchman believes Klopp ‘made excuses’ to not complete 2018 deal
Nowadays, transfers are no longer a mystery as they are reported weeks in advance – whereas, back in the day, they often came out of nowhere. That means that when there is so much clamour over a player’s summer movements – Fekir’s inevitable move to Liverpool being the perfect example – just for nothing to materalise, fans are left wondering why.
Fekir’s Ligue 1 employers, Lyon, and Liverpool had agreed a deal worth £53 million for the now-31-year-old’s signature after he plundered 31 goal contributions (23 goals and eight assists) in 40 outings. In fact, the playmaker’s move was all-but confirmed.
Fekir’s deal was so far gone that he had sorted his in-house introductory interview with LFCTV, while his medical had been completed in Clairefontaine, Paris. Though, all that said, his move was thrown into doubt, and he never moved. As reported by Sky Sports, he reflected on the ‘lies’.
“There was an incredible amount of lies told about it. Everything that has been said about my family in particular. It hurts them, as it hurt me. You want the truth? Even I do not know it, I assure you.”
“I did my medical examination and, behind, they decided not to sign me,” the Frenchman continued before adding, “At one point, they wanted me to believe it was the knee. But it was an excuse and medical tests passed at Clairefontaine were very clear.”
Fekir – who had ruptured a cruciate ligament in September 2015, causing him to miss a large chunk of the 2015/16 campaign – insinuated that the breakdown was framed as a physical problem, when (in his eyes) it wasn’t. As such, it planted a seed of doubt in other potential suitors. He continued:
“What irritated me was that by trying to advance this pseudo-physical problem, it ruled out chances with other clubs that were potentially interested, while there are other players who have experienced the same injury and it did not prevent them from returning to a normal trajectory.”
“I have no bitterness towards Liverpool,” he said before suggesting that those at Liverpool were keen admirers. “They showed me that they really wanted me. But behind, when you do not surround yourself with good people, it hurts you.”
Fekir’s Collapsed Deal Aided The Signing of Alisson
‘And if we sign Fekir, we don’t have the money for Ali’
The collapse of Fekir’s move from France to England, however, worked out to be a silver lining in Liverpool’s route to the top of English – and European, perhaps – football. And Klopp, one of the best Premier League managers of all time, once revealed that Alisson’s addition was financed as a result.
Liverpool’s concrete interest in the Brazilian shot-stopper arose pre-Champions League final – famed for Loris Karius’ disasterclass – and speaking in an episode as part of the club’s docuseries ‘Alisson: My Story’, Klopp revealed all. Per This is Anfield, he said:
“We all know the story around the Champions League final. We had to estimate, to judge, how [Karius] would deal, how the public would deal with that,” the former Reds custodian said. “We were all hoping he could become stronger after that, maybe it can be a turning point into a good direction.”
On Klopp’s adoration for the 31-year-old, commonly admired as one of the best goalkeepers in world football, Klopp labelled his availability as his ‘absolute dream’. “But then all of a sudden, we heard then that Ali is on the market. It was my absolute dream. When you dream or think about the team, you set it up from the back. And that was the moment we said ‘OK, we have to try it’.”
Then, in what may come as a surprise to the Anfield faithful, Klopp insisted that Fekir joining the club would’ve burned a hole in their pockets, leaving a potential deal for Alisson in doubt. In an alternate universe, what could have been, eh?
“The interesting part is that we were close to signing Fekir. And if we sign Fekir, we don’t have the money for Ali. It was obviously a pretty important decision for the future of LFC!”
As alluded to, Alisson joined in 2018 under Klopp’s stewardship and is still equally important to Arne Slot’s title-winning regime. A two-time Premier League winner, the seasoned glove bearer has been, undoubtedly, the best goalkeeper in world football for the last half a decade.
Elsewhere, after spending a five-year spell of his career in Spain for Real Betis, Fekir is now spending his latter days in Abu Dhabi, having moved to Al-Jazira in the summer of 2024. He’s notched 14 goal involvements in 28 outings for his current employers.
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