Nabil Fekir is a long-term Liverpool target and very nearly signed for the club last summer, before the deal fell through.
The Lyon midfielder was even pictured holding a Reds shirt but issues concerning his medical forced Liverpool to pull the plug.
Speculation Fekir could complete a transfer to Liverpool has not entirely evaporated and Reds fans in particular are keen for the club to go back in for the Frenchman.
But Lyon's current situation could stand in the way of Liverpool ever completing a deal for the 25-year-old.
As things stand, the French club sit third in Ligue 1, which sees them qualify for the Champions League next season.
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But Saint Etienne are only one point behind Lyon, and could leapfrog their rivals from now until the end of the season to take the final Champions League spot.
If this happens then Lyon are expecting an exodus.
However, if the French club can retain third they intend to retain their best players.
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Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas told Le Journal du Dimanche: "If we qualify for the Champions League this season, we will only sell one player this summer."
While Fekir could indeed be sold, Lyon have a number of players linked with moves away from the club this summer.
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La Liga giants Real Madrid for instance are very keen on landing Lyon left-back Ferland Mendy in a deal worth £39million.
While former Fulham striker Moussa Dembele has also been linked with a move away from France, with Manchester United and Arsenal monitoring the 22-year-old.
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Mendy is perhaps the most likely to leave, given the pulling power of Real Madrid, who are hell-bent on splashing cash as part of a huge rebuild this summer.
This means that Liverpool would likely miss out on Fekir once again, especially considering the fact the player has fallen down their wishlist.
