Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has reportedly spoken directly to Lyon forward Nabil Fekir, in an attempt to convince the former Liverpool target to move to Stamford Bridge.
The Frenchman was heavily linked with a move to join Jurgen Klopp's side, and a deal was believed to be nearing completion, only for the talks to break down at the last minute. As a result, Fekir remained with Lyon and has continued his impressive form, racking up four goals and four assists in ten appearances.
News of Sarri's interest in Fekir comes from Spanish outlet El Gol Digital, who state that Chelsea are competing with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in the race for Fekir's signature.
El Gol Digital claim that Chelsea are in pole position for the deal, saying: "Sarri has personally called the French footballer to explain the project and to make him see that he will be the undisputed starter on the right side of the attack."
The report also states that Fekir would move ahead of Pedro in Sarri's pecking order, meaning the Spaniard could be sold to accommodate Fekir's arrival. Pedro is said to be keen on a return to Spain, and El Gol Digital suggest that Valencia could be interested in his services.
Sarri would likely be reluctant to lose Pedro, after the Italian admitted that the winger was one of his side's most important players. He is quoted by football.london as saying: "Pedro, for us, is very important because he is the best player we have with movement without the ball. So, in this moment of the season, Pedro is a very important player."
Fekir has previously admitted that he is yet to discuss the possibility of a contract extension with Lyon, leaving the door open for a potential transfer in the near future.
Following Lyon's 2-1 victory over Manchester City in September, he said: "What happened with Liverpool is straight out of my head, I turned the page. We must not stop at this, we must move forward. There are things that must be accepted.
"My future? We have not discussed an extension yet, we will see what happens."
Source :
90min
