How would Liverpool line up with Nabil Fekir?

Liverpool have been heavily linked with Lyon’s Nabil Fekir. How would the Reds line up with French midfielder?

Liverpool have been heavily linked with Lyon’s Nabil Fekir more or less since the season ended, with numerous outlets reporting the club’s interest. Whether a move goes through remains to be seen, such is the fickle nature of the transfer market, but it seems plausible enough to wonder how Jurgen Klopp would use the Frenchman.

Given his price tag — estimated at £45 million by TransferMarkt, but likely to be closer to 70 in the current market — the likelihood of Fekir being a complimentary bench piece is very slim. For Lyon, he has had most success playing as a number 10 in a 4-3-1-2. That’s unlikely to be the case at Liverpool, who mostly play a 4-3-3. That leaves Klopp a few options.

The most obvious is that Fekir will fill the hole left by Philippe Coutinho’s January departure, as one of the midfielders in a 4-3-3, starting on the left but free to drift. The idea of Fekir charging forward with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, breaking down parked buses around the Premier League, is tantalizing.

Still, the midfield is crowded. Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Georginio Wijnaldum, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all vying for places, while new arrivals Naby Keita and Fabinho will also expect to start most games. Given the money Liverpool have spent on these players, they may well end up being the starters.

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If Klopp does stick with the 4-3-3, their skill sets seem to dovetail well. Keita’s more of a box-to-box player, Fekir’s strength is in attack and Fabinho is a deep-lying holder. Playing alongside those two would give Fekir the freedom he needs to supplement the attack. Klopp did it with Coutinho to good effect. The Frenchman may simply be a slightly overdue replacement.

The other options are playing Fekir as a number 10 in a 4-2-3-1, a formation Klopp has used occasionally, with Mane, Firmino and Salah leading the line and Fabinho and, probably, Jordan Henderson shielding the defense. The fluid nature of Liverpool’s midfield means this formation often looks like a 4-3-3 anyway.

Finally, some have suggested Fekir could be used as an alternative to Firmino as a false 9. Firmino’s a guaranteed starter, and this is unlikely to be an option Klopp tuns to in big games, but the Brazilian took on a massive work load last season, and the Reds had no good replacement when he couldn’t play. Even if Fekir starts there only a few times a season, it could give Firmino some valuable rest.

That is, perhaps, what makes Fekir such an intriguing prospect, and such a good fit for Klopp. He’s talented enough to start in a variety of positions, which should allow him to adapt quickly to a system that demands positional flexibility from so many players, particularly in midfield. There’s still a way to go before any deal is complete, but it’s clear why Liverpool fans are excited.