Liverpool have informed RB Leipzig that they will not be making a fresh offer for Naby Keïta.
The Reds have had 2 bids rejected for the 22-year-old midfielder and were confident of landing him despite Leipzig playing hardball. An opening bid of £57m was rejected while a further bid which would have exceeded £66m with add-ons and bonuses taken into account was also snubbed.
A release clause in the player’s contract, which can be activated at the end of next season, means Liverpool could snap him up for around £45m and with the player wanting the move, Anfield officials have come to the conclusion that going any higher on their already generous bid would be foolish.
Liverpool’s position on the matter was leaked to the media this afternoon in a move that some will see as an attempt to apply leverage on Leipzig to U-turn before the transfer window closes.
The Reds did, of course, also ‘end their interest’ in Virgil van Dijk but we’re still very much in for him so although the latest developments will depress some of you, we would suggest you rule nothing out. However, we don’t want us to shell out in excess of £70m for a player that many Bundesliga experts claimed was over priced at £50m never mind more, before this transfer saga developed.
Has Leipzig’s arse just collapsed? Let’s see what pans out over the coming weeks. It’ll be interesting to see who we’re linked with next week!
