Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has sensationally claimed Real Madrid want Nabil Fekir.
And that will come as worrying news for Liverpool, who had not ruled out the prospect of resurrecting a deal for the France international.
Speaking to French television, the wily Lyon owner suggested that medical issues were NOT to blame for the collapse of Fekir’s £53m transfer to Anfield just before the start of the World Cup.
Instead, he suggested that he called off the transfer himself because it had simply dragged on too long.
And Aulas claimed that has sparked the interest of Madrid, following the appointment of Julen Lopetegui as their new manager.
Speaking to RT France, Aulas said: “Yeah, listen, at that stage it was foreseen he would go to Liverpool, I had given it the green light to go ahead. but it just took too long, things were just too drawn out.
“He is an exceptional player, he keeps the ball in little space and has an incredible talent. The fact that things didn’t conclude with Liverpool and it didn’t happen in that timeframe has peaked the interest of a lot of other clubs - Real Madrid, but not just Real Madrid and their new trainer.
“There is a lot of interest from other camps, so everything is possible.”
Liverpool pulled away from the deal when medical tests on the eve of the transfer suggested there were issues with surgery the player had on a cruciate ligament problem.
The player himself was hoping a compromise could be found between the Reds and Lyon which would restructure the terms of payment to reflect those concerns.
But Aulas announced he had terminated all further discussions…even though sources at Anfield are adamant it was they who had originally said no to the original £53m agreement.
Now, the Lyon President is adamant he wants Fekir to stay.
He added: "But at the same time we still have eyes for him staying in Lyon. My objective is to get him to stay - the players are like sons to me and I hope to persuade him to stay.
“But if he absolutely wishes to leave, then we will try to find the biggest club to match his talent."
Fekir for his part is still very keen on a move to Liverpool, and his agent Jean Pierre-Bernes insisted this week that the deal was NOT dead, and could still happen.
Sources close to the French forward suggest that a deal can still be resurrected, with payment terms changed to allow for Liverpool’s concerns, which are apparently centred on a ligament graft the player underwent to repair the cruciate damage.
It is understood he will ask Aulas - with whom he has a close relationship - to reconsider the deal, and make concessions to allow it to happen.
But no talks will be resumed until after the World Cup, with Liverpool content to sit out the situation and see what develops.