Liverpool have been heavily linked with Lyon captain Nabil Fekir in recent weeks.
The 24-year-old attacking midfielder has been identified by Jurgen Klopp as Philippe Coutinho's natural replacement.
Fekir is expected to leave his boyhood club this summer has reportedly told Lyon that he would prefer a move to Liverpool.
Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid are also reportedly interested in the French international - but Liverpool are currently in the driving seat.
Reports suggests Fekir is currently valued at around £60m by Lyon.
It seemed like a deal would not be agreed before the World Cup because Lyon were hoping that an impressive display in Russia would inflate Fekir's price tag.
Lyon president Jean Michel Aulas is notoriously difficult to negotiate with but he's reportedly had a change of heart just days before the World Cup kicks off.
Why Fekir could join Liverpool very soon
According to the Independent, Lyon have changed their stance and are now prepared to sell Fekir to Liverpool before the World Cup kicks off.
Aulas believes a pre-World Cup agreement may be the most profitable arrangement for Lyon after Didier Deschamps preferred Corentin Tolisso, Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kanté in midfield for France's most recent warm up match.
The Independent report that Aulas believes that Liverpool will have to calculate the potential of summer performance into their offer.
However, Fekir has never started a competitive match for France so is unlikely to be a key player at the 2018 World Cup.
He played just 17 minutes in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Liverpool are also currently being linked with Stoke City's Xherdan Shaqiri and The Independent state that the Reds "are primed to seal at least one new signing in the next 24 hours."
Shaqiri, 26, has a release clause of just £12m after Stoke were relegated to the Championship.
Klopp moved rapidly to sign Fabinho from Monaco for £43.7m at the end of May.
Could he do the same with Fekir and Shaqiri? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.