Liverpool hit a stumbling block in their pursuit of Nabil Fekir as Lyon's club president has come out and said the attacking midfielder will not be leaving the club before or during the World Cup.
The record is at a standstill, there is no way forward," said Jean-Michel Aulas to Le Progres.
"The record will certainly not close during the World Cup and I do not think there is any change before the World Cup. (We) have not set a base price because we have not discussed this yet."
There is still a long way to go for the deal to conclude although Fekir's agent, Jean Pierre Bernes made it clear that negotiations were likely to take place.
"We will go with Nabil to Liverpool or elsewhere, only when there will be an agreement with the Lyon and they me the green light,"
"Liverpool's interest exists, but for now, there is nothing done and other clubs can also happen. This transfer window can be long."
The transfer window closes for Premier League clubs on the 9th August this year, before the season gets underway. Given that the World Cup ends on July 15th and France are expected to go deep into the tournament, that leaves just under a month for the two clubs to come to an agreement.
Liverpool are also keeping tabs on Xherdan Shaqiri, who is on his way out of Stoke this summer following their relegation to the Championship. The Swiss star has a £12m buy out clause which Liverpool are keen to meet, although due to a talented front line, he will only be used as an impact player for the Reds.
