Unluckyyyyyyy…
RB Leipzig have put rumours to bed that Naby Keita will be moving to Liverpool this January. On Sunday, they firmly announced that the player will remain with Leipzig until the summer transfer window and they even said that they want to end the speculation.
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
Liverpool and RB Leipzig agreed a deal last summer for Keita to move to Anfield in the summer of 2018, but after the departure of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona this window, Liverpool were keen to accelerate the move.
As it was, the German club’s stance was a real lesson to how Liverpool should’ve dealt with the Coutinho situation.
The Reds will sorely miss their Brazilian’s creativity and were hoping that Keita could step into his shoes but they’ll have to go the rest of the season devoid of that playmaker and now their midfield options include just Jordan Henderson, Emre Can, Adam Lallana, Georginio Wijnaldum and James Milner.
Some Liverpool fans were sold false hope on Saturday when Naby Keita’s muted celebration hinted at an early exit – in the eyes and minds of supporters getting far too carried away.
No celebration for Keita after his third goal in Bundesliga this season. Watch. pic.twitter.com/r4dVD5eAbU
— Thierno Amadou Makadji (@ThAmadouMakadji) January 13, 2018
But they weren’t helped by the reports that were surrounding that behaviour.
Reports in Germany claim Naby Keita will play his last game for RB Leipzig this weekend before joining Liverpool. #LFC #RBLeipzig
— Pete O'Rourke (@SportsPeteO) January 12, 2018
The two clubs have been locked in negotiations for an extra fee that would see the move brought forward to this window as opposed to the summer, with conflicting reports surfacing about when the transfer would eventually go through.
An announcement from Leipzig’s Twitter account confirmed that the Guinea international will remain in Germany until the summer, when he will take Steven Gerrard’s old number 8 shirt at Liverpool.
