Liverpool announced in the summer that they will be signing midfielder Naby Keita from last season’s Bundesliga runners-up Red Bull Leipzig next summer for a club-record fee of £48m after failing to strike a deal for a 2017 transfer.
Ever since that deal was announced, there has been growing speculation that Keita could leave for Anfield in the January transfer window.
However, the Bundesliga side have quashed those rumours with Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick ruling out an early departure. Speaking to Leipziger Volkszeitung, Rangnick said:
Even if we should not reach the knockout stages of Champions League, it would make no sense to allow Naby to join Liverpool earlier. We want to qualify for Europe again, and we need Naby for that.
Leipzig qualified for this season’s Champions League, meaning even if Keita left for Liverpool in January, he wouldn’t be eligible to play for the Reds in the competition if they progressed through the group stages.
The 22-year-old has already received three red cards this season and has had some off-the-field trouble of late, but he should make a huge impact in the Reds’ midfield when he does arrive.
