VIDEO: Nabil Fekir had a great performance against Barcelona. Injury stopped him from a bigger career

He was one of the best players in Ligue 1, wanted by several top Premier League clubs and was reportedly one step away from a move to Liverpool. But Nabil Fekir shocked everyone with a move to Real Betis in the summer of 2019. Even there, though, he is showing his quality.

Nabil Fekir shot like a comet at Lyon. In the 2014/15 season, he scored 13 goals as an offensive midfielder and caught the eye of several big clubs.

His best season was 2017/18, when he scored 18 goals in Ligue 1, added 7 assists and had a 3+1 record in the Europa League. As icing on the cake, he celebrated the World Cup title with France.

At that moment, the freshly 25-year-old Fekir was at his peak. He had his pick of suitors to choose from, with Liverpool, where he was one step away from a transfer, showing huge interest. He ended up staying one more season at Lyon, where he also recorded a decent 9+5 record.

In the summer of 2019, the transfer finally came, but the destination shocked the world at the time. Fekir, who was wanted by Liverpool or Manchester United transferred to Real Betis. To a club that finished as high as tenth in La Liga.

He didn’t help Betis in his first season, but after that he was a big part of their rise. In the 2020/21 season Betis finished sixth and played in the Europa League, last year they finished one place higher. They currently hold fourth place in La Liga.

Yet Fekir could have achieved more. But torn ligaments in his knee have somehow put the brakes on his career. He also has a problem with motivation, sometimes “unwilling” and lazy against weaker opponents.

But if he has a day, his talent is elite level. In the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona, he gave one of his top performances.

It was virtually impossible to take the ball from him, with only a foul. He created several dangerous moments on the pitch, thanks to him Betis came out of a lot of difficult situations. After his corner, Betis almost scored, but finally he scored a goal of his own when he equalized in the 77th minute to make it 1-1.

Source: Real Betis, Twitter