Nabil Fekir failed a medical with Liverpool ahead of a proposed £52million move to Anfield in 2018 and with Ibrahima Konate set to join the Reds, old insecurities will finally be healed.
The French midfielder was supposed to be the next Philippe Coutinho but a failed medical brought the deal to a halt, with Liverpool pulling the plug on a deal that would have been worth £52million, according to the Echo.
Supporters were rightly devastated. The season building up that fateful summer transfer window, Fekir scored 28 goals and provided 8 assists.
As Liverpool won the Champions League the following season and narrowly missed out on the Premier League title, there was no real harm done but with the Reds set to sign Ibrahima Konate, questions have been raised over the 22-year-old’s own injury history.
Ibrahima Konaté to Liverpool, done deal. Medicals already completed days ago. #LFC are gonna trigger €35m release clause in the next days and announce the signing from RB Leipzig. Here we go confirmed. 🔴 #LFC
Personal terms agreed since April 23 – contract until June 2026. https://t.co/j4codIsBnD
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 25, 2021
As the tweet above from Fabrizio Romano confirms, Konate has already completed his Liverpool medical and so the green light has been issued regarding his €35million move to Anfield.
Liverpool sign Konate in the face of his injury battles struggles and in spite of their own battle with defensive injuries this season.
There is no reason to be worried, however, as he’s only suffered one real injury since he suffered a tear to muscle fibre in 2019.
The Athletic’s expert Raphael Honigstein had this to say on Konate: “There’s a perception that the player has been injury-prone. In reality, he’s suffered one serious injury: to his hip flexor muscle.
“It needed surgery in France last summer after a recurrence and is the main reason his game time has been limited, and the hype turned down a lot.”
LEIPZIG, GERMANY – MAY 16: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Ibrahima Konate of RasenBallsport Leipzig looks on during the Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg at Red Bull Arena on May 16, 2021 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Liverpool fans are understandably concerned about a player potentially being injury-prone in an area of the pitch that has seen every player that has featured there this season suffer at least one injury.
Konate’s move to Merseyside should help heal the insecurities caused by Fekir’s dramatic transfer saga in 2018 and with his medical already complete, it’s time to get excited about seeing him doing the Kirkby lean now that Melwood is no longer.
