Liverpool are set to increase their offer for RB Leipzig’s Naby Keita to £65 million according to The Express. The report claims that Jurgen Klopp has made Keita his number one target for the summer and we are to return with a higher bid for the 22-year-old.
The report also adds that our earlier bid of £57 million was rejected by Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side with chairman Oliver Mintzlaff ready to sell the Guinean for £70 million according to European football expert Gabriele Marcotti. This would be in stark contrast to their earlier stand on Keita as the club were not willing to sell the Bundesliga man for any price whatsoever.
Tough negotiations to get Keita to Anfield
Leipzig’s continuous rejection of our bid was a big test for us and it seems we are passing it with flying colours. While many will baulk at the crazy price being paid for Keita, we must remember he was one of the most impressive performers in the German league and is expected to get better with more experience under his belt.
Leipzig finished second in the league standings and with Champions League football guaranteed for the side next season, it was always going to be difficult to pick up any of their players. However, we have stuck with our target and it seems that Leipzig will relent after all.
Keita is seen as a more offensive version of N’Golo Kante and with his eight goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga last season, he will fit perfectly with our playing style.
Our policy this season is a complete departure from our recent outings in the transfer window where we were priced out of a move for a player that we want. And it does seem that Klopp is having the final say on transfers as we close in on another record fee for Keita, after breaking the same when we signed Mohamed Salah from AS Roma.
The Guinean would be paired with Jordan Henderson in the heart of the midfield and with the endless running between the pair, we could certainly dominate the opposition.
It will also be interesting to see how we deal with the plethora of talent we have in the side with Marko Grujic, Georginio Wijnaldum and Emre Can fighting it out for places in midfield. Fortunately, we do have European games to fill in the calendar, which will test our squad strength this season.
