Red Bull Leipzig, if anything, are hardening their status in regards to Naby Keita.
They have no intention of selling him to Liverpool, regardless of fee, and actually contacted us yesterday to remind of this fact, report the Telegraph.
Ralf Rangnick, their sporting director, has continually stated that Keita won’t be sold and is becoming increasingly irritated by suggestions the Guinean might be – despite the player himself telling the Germans he wants a Merseyside switch.
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Our only hope in acquiring Keita, as it is with Virgil van Dijk, is if the player publicly declares he wants a move and hands in a transfer request. If that happens, his club may have to reconsider – considering the midfielder has a £48m release clause which becomes active next summer.
EOTK understands that there is a concrete possibility Keita will hand in a request, as Sadio Mane did to Red Bull Salzburg in 2014, but that it’s not something he wants to do if he can help it.
As a result, this one is likely to rumble on, with the ball firmly in Keita’s court. Hopefully Liverpool’s discussions with the player were enough to convince him that joining our project is necessary at any cost.