Liverpool are reportedly preparing to swoop for RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita, despite the Bundesliga side’s hefty £70m demands for their star man.
The 22-year-old had an excellent season last year, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists in 31 league appearances to help his side finish second in the table.
In turn, those impressive performances have led to interest from elsewhere, with The Mirror reporting that Liverpool remain keen on him despite Leipzig’s sensational demands of £70m.
Chief executive Oliver Mintzlaff is looking to keep the squad together ahead of their first season in the Champions League, and so Jurgen Klopp may be left disappointed in his pursuit of the midfield ace.
It would be a hugely important addition to the Liverpool squad though, as the German tactician continues to look at ways to add quality and depth to his side as they will look to compete on various fronts next season.
However, given Leipzig’s stubbornness and how unlikely it is that they’ll lower their demands this summer, Klopp will seemingly have to consider other options to bolster his midfield as that is a key area which needs to be addressed.
As noted by the report, Liverpool broke their transfer record already this month with the £36.9m signing of Mohamed Salah from Roma, and if they harbour ambitions of adding Keita to the team, it would appear as though they’d have to break it again.
Whether or not he’s worth that kind of money will be up for debate itself, but Liverpool are expected to test the German outfit’s resolve as per the report, but it’s difficult to see a deal being done.