RB Leipzig not releasing Naby Keita this month

Naby Keita of RB Leipzig

Monday Jan 15, 2018. 13:30

With speculation rife that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wants to have Guinea and RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita this month, his club has refused to let him go.

News reports suggest that the German Bundesliga outfit will keep the Syli Nationale international until next summer.

The German club have stated this in a bid to put speculation to bed as Klopp is said to be looking for Philippe Coutinho’s replacement after joining Barcelona last week.

Keita will move to the English Premier League side for £51 million in July this year, in a deal agreed last August, but the Reds wanted to bring him in this month instead.

The 22-year-old found the back of the net in their 3-1 win over Schalke 04 on Saturday and the club‘s director Ralf Rangnick has rubbished the talks of releasing Keita.

"We won't allow Liverpool to sign him early," he said.

"They have shown renewed interest to bring him in during this transfer window.

"As everyone knows, we are not a selling club, therefore it would only have been possible had we reached a mutual agreement involving an exorbitant additional fee. That is not the case."

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