Transfers

Chelsea involvement in Nabil Fekir saga forced Lyon to change transfer plans

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Lyon boss Bruno Genesio says transfer plans changed after Nabil Fekir’s £53m move to Liverpool collapsed.

While Jürgen Klopp’s side has made a fantastic start to the 2018/19 season, winning the first three games of the new Premier League campaign without conceding a single goal.

For once, the Reds’ backline has been the shining feature of their wins as the likes of Sadio Mané slowly gear up for the long season ahead. In recent wins over Brighton and Crystal Palace, some would argue that a creative presence from deeper areas has been needed.

Had Nabil Fekir joined the club this summer, he would have definitely been able to provide that for Liverpool but after a deal fell through in June, the midfielder will spend the season ahead with Lyon once more.

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Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has admitted that events over the summer forced the Ligue 1 outfit to change their transfer plans.

“In the beginning, when we thought about our summer transfer window and how to organise the future squad, we thought that he was practically gone,” he said at a Lyon press conference on Wednesday.

“That’s why we have been able to adapt things.

“We spoke with Chelsea representatives, and they had no interest at all in him. From then on, we realised we could change our plans (as Nabil would stay).”