Nabil Fekir was "very frustrated" his dream transfer to Liverpool collapsed, according to Lyon boss Bruno Genesio.
Fekir was in the process of completing a £53million switch to Anfield last summer only for the deal to break down at the eleventh hour following the Frenchman's medical.
The midfielder has remained a Liverpool target despite the cancelled transfer and has been linked with a move to Anfield in this summer's window.
Genesio, who is set to vacate his post as Lyon boss at the end of the season, has spoken out about the 25-year-old Frenchman and his failed transfer to Liverpool.
The Lyon manager has also admitted he thinks it's the right time for Fekir to leave Ligue 1 and sign for a new club.
"I think that he [Fekir] was very frustrated with his cancelled transfer to Liverpool at the beginning of the season," Genesio told French radio station RMC.
"He made the World Cup, he had some injuries. He certainly did not feel strong enough to take on the role of leader, which he had done the previous season, relaying technical information on the pitch.
"Nabil is coming to the end of a cycle in Lyon. He has experienced a lot of things here.
"I think that he needs a new challenge, to push his limits, and to be self-critical. Because we know, we always need a personal challenge in a career, and to ask questions of ourselves."
