Real Betis star Nabil Fekir has hit out at the “lies” which surfaced on the back of a proposed £53 million transfer move to Liverpool breaking down in the summer window of 2018.
However, It appeared at one stage as though a move to Liverpool for the France international was a mere formality.
Fekir, who was then a Lyon player, had travelled to England and been pictured in the colours of his supposedly new team.
There was a late twist, with the Reds opting to back out of the deal. Medical concerns were cited, with Fekir considered to be a risk after returning back from a serious knee injury.
The 26-year-old, who secured a £22m move to Real Betis this year, has questioned the motives of Liverpool and claims to still be unaware as to the real reasons why a transfer did not happen.
Fekir, a World Cup winner in the same summer as a switch to the Premier League was discussed, told L’Equipe: “Lots of lies were told and they affected me.
“Especially those told about my family. It hurt them and me. Especially when you know that what’s being told is false.
“What was said is not the truth. My knee is good – I had a quick medical check at Clairefontaine (France’s national training base) – my knee wasn’t even mentioned.
“If my knee had been in such a bad state, would Aulas (Lyon chairman Jean-Michel) have made [a huge offer to keep me]?
“But the worst thing is the idea that people could suggest that it’s because of my family that the transfer didn’t happen. 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.”
