• Transfer was expected before France forward left for World Cup • Lyon say captain will stay for Champions League campaign

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Lyon have called off negotiations for the sale of Nabil Fekir to Liverpool, the French club announced on Saturday.

The France forward was expected to join Jürgen Klopp’s side before Les Bleus left for the World Cup but Lyon have ended talks and called off the deal.

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“Transfer negotiations with Liverpool and Nabil Fekir for the transfer of the captain of OL have not succeeded and Olympique Lyonnais have decided to put an end to this negotiation tonight at 8pm,” the club said in a statement on its official website.

The 24-year-old was being courted by Liverpool as a replacement for Philippe Coutinho, who joined Barcelona in January. There were doubts as to whether the playmaker would pass a medical with the Premier League side because of a knee injury. However, that is now irrelevant.

According to reports, the France Football Association president, Noël Le Graët, had suggested the move was almost completed before Lyon’s announcement.

The club’s statement continued: “Although Liverpool have been the priority of a possible transfer for Nabil ... Olympique Lyonnais is delighted to be able to count on the presence of our captain, who is a leading player for the 2018-19 season when the club will play in the Champions League.”