RB Leipzig have put to rest speculation that midfielder Naby Keita could join Liverpool in this window, earlier than the player’s previously-agreed move for the summer.
Liverpool activated Keita’s £48m last summer to ensure the Guinean would join the club at the end of this term, and also played a premium, believed to be around £6m, to secure the signing a year in advance.
There were suggestions that the Reds would try to bring forward the 22-year-old’s move to this window, potentially for an extra fee of £18m.
But with the Bundesliga outfit in the Round of 32 of the Europa League, as well as still being in the hunt for a Champions League place, they have been adamant that they will hold both Keita and Liverpool to the original agreement of allowing the player to stay in Leipzig for the rest of the season.
OFFICIAL: Naby #Keïta will remain an #RBLeipzig player until 30th June 2018. We wish to put the speculation about a January move to @LFC to bed. pic.twitter.com/Cilx09m24e
— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) January 14, 2018
Liverpool have been considering options to reinforce their midfield following Philippe Coutinho‘s club-record £142m switch to Barcelona.
Although Adam Lallana is making his comeback from injury and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could get a more regular starting berth, the Anfield side were hoping to be able to call upon Keita as an option for the rest of the season.
