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da spicy bet： The transfer saga that was never supposed to be one in the first place has finally come to its conclusion.
Nabil Fekir has officially been announced as Real Betis’ newest star signing and instead to the Premier League, the 26-year-old Frenchman will be heading to the sunny pitches of the Spanish La Liga.
And this certainly comes as a surprise pick, especially considering not so long ago Fekir was literally a step away from joining Liverpool. After all, he was already on his way to Melwood, Liverpool had everything done and dusted, just waiting for the announcement and Jurgen Klopp was no doubt putting Fekir’s name on the tactics board for the next big clash.
And then suddenly, the plug was pulled, the board was wiped clean and the social media announcements were promptly moved from the desktop to the bin, never to be restored again. The prevailing narrative came in the suggestion that Fekir carried a ligament injury which planted a seed of doubt in the Reds’ minds.
Naturally, a superstar with such a pedigree and more importantly, with a reported value of £53m could simply not be risked and the deal was ultimately scrapped. Fast forward a year and the coveted creator is donning the green and white, kissing the badge of none other than Real Betis. Who saw that one coming?
But was this the right move for Fekir or rather, was it the best move for Liverpool back in 2018 to snub such a talented player who would’ve easily slotted into the team and right into the vacant Philippe Coutinho-sized hole in the squad? Yes to the former and probably a no to the latter.
Sure, it’s quite easy to talk about it now that Liverpool were crowned champions of Europe and all the pieces Klopp assembled seemed to fall into place. It’s easy to say “see, they didn’t need Fekir after all”. Maybe so but who’s to say he wouldn’t have improved the team if he joined?
The talented attacking midfielder played a total of 193 games for Lyon, his former club, and managed to score 69 goals while also tallying 46 assists to his name. Compared to Coutinho’s 54 goals and 45 assists in 201 matches as one of the Reds, certain similarities can be drawn.
But even when we look at the player’s injury record, there’s also not much to be alarmed about. Three injuries in the span of three years and the last serious one was back in 2015/16 when he missed a total of 39 games due to a ligament rupture. Since then: two slight knee injuries that included a small bruise and a knock that sidelined him for only three games.
Surely this is not something that would suddenly make you throw everything out of the window in a blink of an eye, especially considering the transfer was one step away from being completed. That sort of research is usually done way before the player is already offered a contract. Or is that not how transfers work anymore?
Either way, Real Betis is definitely not a bad team to join. On the contrary, they were among the rare ones to beat Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid throughout the season, and despite their 10th place finish, which is admittedly a far cry from Liverpool’s runners-up place in the Premier League, they played quality and entertaining football throughout the campaign.
And with them being a possession-based team, they suit Fekir and his skill set perfectly. After all, his creativity and danger he possesses in the final third is something any team would be happy to have in their midsts. Since 2016/17 Fekir has had the most dribbles completed of any Ligue 1 player and is leading the charts in goals and fouls won. He is also the player with the second-most chances created in the whole league.
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Stats clearly speak for themselves and it’s easy to see why any team would pounce on such a player. Maybe, at first sight, it seems like Fekir did fall from the pedestal a bit, and yes, that may be true. Liverpool have reached incredible heights since that failed transfer but it’s difficult to tell if another creator is indeed needed in the Merseyside squad at the moment. Back then, sure – with Coutinho gone in January, Fekir seemed to fit like a glove – a like-for-like replacement that would see the Reds maintain their style rather than changing things up dramatically.
But now, Fekir can be much more at Betis than he would be at the current Liverpool team. At Betis, he will be the main man, especially with Giovani Lo Celso being so close to finalising his move to Tottenham Hotspur. It’s Fekir’s time to shine, and if he can remain injury-free, only the sky is the limit.
Real Betis seem like an obligatory springboard that is bound to propel the Frenchman into greatness once again. And then, who knows, maybe Liverpool come knocking again.
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