Barcelona are currently on top of the La Liga table, playing some brilliant football despite losing one of their key players — Neymar — over the summer.
It was a summer to forget for Barcelona, who failed to land their key target Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool, and now Barcelona star Lionel Messi wants his club to sign Lyon star Nabil Fekir.
As per Diario Gol, the Argentine has urged his club to sign the 24-year-old player who is on the radar of their arch-rival Real Madrid as well. It could be a straight battle between two heavyweights of Spain, and generally when Barcelona and Real come calling, teams like Lyon find it difficult to retain their player.
If Barcelona manage to sign Fekir, it would be a massive scoop for the club as he can strengthen Messi's team to a great extent. The Frenchman could relish an opportunity to play alongside the likes of Messi and Luis Suarez, and it would also be a step-up for the midfielder to play in the La Liga, which is far bigger than Ligue 1.
Barcelona could go for Coutinho in the January transfer window as well, but Liverpool, who rejected three bids over the summer, may not let one of their stars go mid-season. Fekir could prove to be an alternative to Coutinho.
Besides Real Madrid and Barcelona, Arsenal are also said to be interested in landing the player. So, with such big teams looking to sign the attacking midfielder, Lyon may well have to lose their talismanic captain despite he having a contract till 2020.
Fekir being on the radar of such big teams does not come as a massive surprise. The Frenchman has impressed all and sundry with his attacking exploits in LIgue 1, having scored 12 goals in 15 matches.
It remains to be seen if Lyon will sell the player in January, and the French club could even play hardball.
