How Jurgen Klopp’s Near-Miss with Nabil Fekir Paved the Way for Liverpool’s Alisson Becker Masterstroke
In the long list of Liverpool’s transformative signings, Alisson Becker’s name rightfully sits near the top. The Brazilian goalkeeper has not only been instrumental in securing silverware, but has also provided a level of consistency and authority that few in his position can match. For a club long haunted by uncertainty between the posts, Alisson’s £67 million arrival in 2018 was a pivotal moment.
At the time, the fee set a world record for a goalkeeper, but hindsight reveals it as one of the best investments in modern football. The former Roma man’s sharp reflexes, calmness under pressure and leadership at the back helped redefine how Liverpool defended. He was, and remains, a cornerstone of a title-winning team now under the management of Arne Slot, who has continued to rely on Alisson’s brilliance en route to lifting the Premier League in his debut campaign.
How Fekir’s Collapse Helped Secure a Future Icon
Yet, the story of Alisson’s move to Anfield nearly ended before it began. Jurgen Klopp has now revealed how Liverpool almost missed the chance to bring in the Brazilian. Speaking in a documentary dedicated to the goalkeeper’s journey, Klopp laid bare the financial crossroads the club faced.
“It was my absolute dream [to sign Alisson],” Klopp said. “The interesting part is that we were close to signing Fekir. And if we sign Fekir, we don’t have the money for Ali. It was obviously a pretty important decision for the future of LFC.”
Nabil Fekir’s move to Merseyside was essentially done. Medicals completed, interviews recorded. But when a knee concern was flagged late in the process, Liverpool opted to pull the plug. The Frenchman later said, “Of course I was disappointed not to go to Liverpool, very disappointed because Liverpool are a great club. I met the coach, Jürgen Klopp, and it went well. After meeting him, I wanted to join Liverpool even more.”
Fekir’s Career Took a Different Path
Fekir, who was viewed as a potential Philippe Coutinho successor, never did pull on a Liverpool shirt. Instead, he remained at Lyon for a further season before moving to Real Betis in La Liga. While he enjoyed a solid spell in Spain, the heights forecast for his career never quite materialised. In 2024, he moved to the UAE to join Al Jazira, where he produced 12 goal involvements in 20 games during the last campaign.
That’s a decent return, but not the career trajectory many expected. And more importantly for Liverpool, it reaffirmed the club’s decision to walk away.
Liverpool’s Sliding Doors Moment Defined an Era
Had Fekir joined, there is every chance Alisson Becker would never have arrived. That alternate timeline might have left Liverpool scrambling for a different goalkeeper, without the dominant force between the sticks that Alisson became. From Champions League heroics in Madrid to crucial saves during a Premier League title race, his impact cannot be overstated.
In the end, what appeared a missed opportunity in the summer of 2018 turned into a masterstroke. Liverpool may not have landed Fekir, but they secured something far more valuable — one of the best goalkeepers in the world, who continues to be a pillar of the club’s ambitions in the Slot era.
