HomeFeatured ArticlesAnalysing Liverpool's Latest Summer Target - Nabil Fekir

Analysing Liverpool’s Latest Summer Target – Nabil Fekir

Nabil Fekir has been a primary target for Liverpool ahead of the summer window and they appear to have landed their man. BBC Sport report that the Reds are close to agreeing a deal for the Lyon captain and the transfer is worth €60 million. He will join Naby Keita and Fabinho as new signings this summer, as Jürgen Klopp attempts to build on what was a successful season.

After the disappointment of the Champions League final, it was important that Liverpool regained their momentum and they have done that with their transfer business. They were criticised for not spending more in January after the sale of Philippe Coutinho, but that now looks like a wise decision with two prime targets signed before the start of the World Cup.

Fekir will be seen as the replacement for Coutinho, as he is likely to play in an advanced midfield role at Anfield. He is a versatile forward, capable of playing a number of positions across the front-line, but he is a good fit Klopp’s system. In some regards, he can be considered an upgrade on the man he is replacing.

The French international may not possess the technical ability that Coutinho does, but he is a more physical player who enjoys pressing from the front. He will offer the team more with his contributions out of possession and that will be one of the reasons why he has been targeted by Klopp. In Ligue 1, Fekir averaged 1.5 tackles per game.

Lyon managed to have a positive campaign under Bruno Genesio and they qualified for next season’s Champions League. Fekir was the undoubted star of the team, with his attacking contributions and Liverpool will be hoping that he can provide even more firepower to their front-line. Last season, the 24-year-old contributed 18 goals and eight assists with a goal involvement every 95.4 minutes.

Liverpool supporters can be excited about this signing as they have the set-up to get the best out of Fekir. Fabinho and Keita will form a dominant central midfield partnership, which will provide freedom to Fekir. The Frenchman performs best when he is allowed to roam and he will be given that opportunity by Klopp.

His dribbling is one of the standout parts of his game, as he often weaves in and out of challenges. Fekir is very efficient when operating in tight spaces and he has a powerful shot from range, which has led to a lot of goals throughout the years.

Since Klopp took over at Anfield, they have recruited well and often favoured those that have a good tactical understanding of the game. Fekir has certainly displayed this throughout his career and he will be a great addition for Liverpool off the pitch also. He has been the captain of Lyon and will bring leadership to the Reds’ attack. There will be a chance for rotation with the 24-year-old able to fill in as one of the front three. That is another positive brought by this transfer.

There will be a section of the Liverpool support that is getting excited about the upcoming season already. Their club have made two major additions and look to be emerging as a potential title challenger. It is too soon to predict that, but there are clearly exciting times ahead for the club and this signing underlines that.

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