Latest news with #Fekir
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Milos Kerkez lets hair down with brother amid Liverpool transfer wait after medical
Liverpool is yet to confirm the signing of Milos Kerkez, although his imminent arrival is the worst-kept secret in soccer. Almost every stage of the process has been public knowledge, such that we now know that he has completed his medical — after which he appears to have enjoyed a night out with his brother and others. Advertisement The cause of the delay in the move up to this point is "technical bits and bobs," but there are no fears that the transfer will fall through. Something of Nabil Fekir proportions would need to happen to prevent Kerkez from becoming a Liverpool player now. Incidentally, Jurgen Klopp recently revealed that signing Fekir would have meant there was no money for Alisson. But while that certainly worked out for the best, there are no obvious reasons to root against Kerkez completing the final formalities. READ MORE: Milos Kerkez handed clear Liverpool transfer warning - 'Don't bother coming' READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Viktor Gyokeres stance, Milos Kerkez medical, Marc Guehi latest Advertisement There's some dispute over where exactly the Fekir move fell apart, although some say it was the medical. That won't be an issue for Kerkez, who has seemingly completed the relevant tests. According to Fabrizio Romano, Kerkez can be considered a Liverpool player already, having completed a medical and agreed his contract. The exact nature of the technical hold-ups is unclear, but the Hungarian doesn't seem to be too concerned by it all. Taking to Instagram, his brother shared photos of the two of them on a night out. Both looked care-free — perhaps celebrating the completion of the final details? We shouldn't have to wait too long to find out. An announcement could come any time, confirming Liverpool's fifth piece of completed business this summer. Advertisement Kerkez would be the second Hungarian added to the ranks in the current transfer window, after 20-year-old goalkeeper Armin Pecsi arrived from Puskas Akademia. With Vitezslav Jaros and Harvey Davies signing new deals and then going out on loan (to Ajax and Crawley respectively), the youngster could slot in as the third-choice stopper. Milos Kerkez is expected to join Liverpool -Credit:Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images The second-choice goalkeeper is likely to be Giorgi Mamardashvili. His transfer was confirmed last summer, but the decision to keep him at Valencia for a year was not structured as a loan, so his arrival has only been made official in this window. Meanwhile, Liverpool has been busy sourcing outfielders too, pulling off an audacious double swoop on Bayer Leverkusen. First through the door was Jeremie Frimpong, who could end up patrolling the opposite flank to Kerkez. Advertisement It would be wrong to forget about Conor Bradley; there's every chance that Frimpong faces a struggle for the right-back berth, and there will also be times when he is used further forward as Mohamed Salah cover. Either way, it's a shrewd piece of business. But the jewel in the crown is Florian Wirtz. One of the most exciting young players in the game, Liverpool broke its transfer record to pull off the incredible coup. There's no denying that it's a hugely exciting time to be joining Liverpool. No wonder Kerkez is in a partying mood. Once pre-season starts, he will need to knuckle down to win the spot. As things stand, Andy Robertson is still the incumbent, although the club legend has been tentatively linked with a move away. But for now, it's nice to see Kerkez enjoying his break. Joining Liverpool will mean more games to contend with than ever before, and reporting for duty recharged is the best thing he can do.
Daily Mirror
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool transfer collapsed after medical and it left £60m target left stunned
Jurgen Klopp pinpointed Nabil Fekir as a key target for Liverpool in 2018 and despite the Frenchman having agreed to the move, it sensationally collapsed as the midfielder told his side of the story Nabil Fekir admitted he was baffled as to why his transfer to Liverpool collapsed. The Frenchman was a key target for Jurgen Klopp in the summer of 2018 and was looked at by fans as the replacement of Philippe Coutinho who had left for Barcelona earlier that year in January. With a reported fee of £58.5million having been agreed with Olympique Lyon for Fekir 's services, the attacking midfielder underwent a medical and had agreed personal terms with the Premier League giants. But in a surprising twist, his impending move to Anfield collapsed with reports suggesting that it was a knee issue during Fekir's medical that caused the transfer to break down. He had missed a majority of the 2015/16 season after rupturing his right ACL during international duty before suffering two further knee injuries during his time in France. The 31-year-old ended up staying one more season with his boyhood club before leaving the next summer to La Liga side Real Betis for a signficantly lower price of £18m. Fekir - who earned 25 France caps between 2015 and 2020 - spoke out on his failed move to the Reds in 2019 as he dispelled rumours that it was the cause of knee that ended his dreams of playing for Liverpool. "The truth, why the transfer to Liverpool did not work out, I don't even know it myself," Fekir said to French sports paper L'Équipe. "I passed my medical and after that, they decided not to sign me after all. What was said is not the truth," he insisted. "My knee is good - I had a quick medical check at Clairefontaine - my knee wasn't even mentioned. But the worst thing is the idea that people could suggest that it's because of my family that the transfer didn't happen. "It's a lie. But you have to live with it. The attempt to spread this pseudo physical problem into the world of course had an influence on other clubs potentially interested as well." Following the failed move, Fekir - who joined Al Jazira last year - had cut ties with his agent Jean-Pierre Bernes who claimed that it was the midfielder's knee issues that was the problem. Fekir would have joined Alisson Becker, Fabinho, Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri at Liverpool who went on to win the Champions League in their first season in Merseyside. An attacking midfielder has once again become a key target for the English champions who are closing in on securing Florian Wirtz. They've agreed a deal worth £116m, including add-ons, with Bayer Leverkusen to sign the German superstar. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd hit Antony sale snag as ruling prevents Real Betis from repeating 'Fekir method'
Antony has proved a revelation since moving to Real Betis from Manchester United on loan. However, the Spanish side are now facing a battle to sign the winger permanently Real Betis may be unable to sign Manchester United star Antony permanently this summer as a new rule means they can no longer spread transfer fees over several years. Antony has been a revelation since moving to Betis on loan in January. Yet the ruling has damaged their dreams of him remaining in Betis colours. The La Liga side have frequently taken advantage of the regulation, most notably with their ex-French star Nabil Fekir, whose fee to former club Lyon was spread over seven years. Part of the amortisation was even still pending when Fekir left Betis last summer for Emirati side Al Jazira. Reports now suggest that United are aiming to recoup at least around £40million of the £81m they initially paid Ajax for Antony. However, Betis could struggle to stump up such cash as the rule allowing clubs to split the cost, a process they would have looked at to secure Antony, has now been changed by La Liga President Javier Tebas. This is a bid to align with UEFA's rules that limit instalment payments to a maximum of five seasons for clubs that do not exceed their limits. Betis agreed a £16.7m, plus £8.5m in variables, with Lyon to bring Fekir to the club in 2019. This amount was initially planned to be paid over four seasons, with the player signing until 2023. Yet in January 2022, Fekir extended his contract by three more seasons until 2026, allowing Betis to spread the cost over more years, which became seven in total. The new rule would have prevented a situation where, as Fekir left last Betis summer with around £5.9m still left to be paid to Lyon, this was almost covered by the fee paid by the UAE side. Antony, 25, has been one of the key factors in Betis' resurgence in the second half of this season. The impact of the Brazilian winger has been spectacular, bagging five goals and four assists in 17 games as they now sit sixth in the table and are in the Europa Conference semi-finals, where they are set to face Fiorentina this week. Those at Betis are optimistic about him staying, with the club's CEO, Ramon Alarcon, revealing that the player tells him every morning that he wants to stay. Yet it's likely the club will have to perform another exercise in financial engineering, using creativity and resources to convince United to part with the star, who is contracted at Old Trafford until 2027. It's also believed that United do not want to sanction another loan for the former Ajax man. Antony's loan fee has only cost Betis £1m net, as they cover a portion of his salary. Bonuses will be paid if they reach the Champions League or win the Conference League, however. Despite their issues surrounding a permanent move, Betis chief Manu Fajardo confirmed over the weekend that the club were determined to find a way to keep the player. He said: "It is a source of satisfaction on a personal level [to have brought Antony to Real Betis], but it is the result of teamwork. Although I am responsible for the sporting management, there are many people involved in this signing. It's still early, but we will try in different ways to do everything possible to continue enjoying Antony."
