Chelsea rejected the chance to sign Lyon attacker Nabil Fekir in the summer, according to the French club's president Jean-Michel Aulas.

After scoring 23 goals in 39 games in 2017-18 Fekir was expected to depart his boyhood club but was unable to find a suitor.

Liverpool appeared close to signing him for £60million before medical issues halted the transfer, and Aulas has now claimed that Chelsea had the chance to take him to Stamford Bridge.

Nabil Fekir was offered to Chelsea but they did not want to sign him

Aulas said: 'In the beginning, when we thought about our summer transfer window and how to organise the future squad, we thought that he [Fekir] was practically gone.

'That's why we have been able to adapt things.

'We spoke with Chelsea representatives, and they had no interest at all in him.

'From then on, we realised we could change our plans [as he would stay].'

Fekir has made one appearance so far this season, coming off the bench for Lyon against Strasbourg.

The midfielder was given additional time off after helping France to victory at the World Cup.