Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Liverpool news: RB Leipzig rule out Naby Keita joining Reds in January transfer window
RB LEIPZIG sporting director Ralf Rangnick has dismissed the chances of Naby Keita making an early move to Liverpool.
Honigstein: Liverpool very SMART to snap up Naby Keita
After a summer-long pursuit, Liverpool announced they had reached an agreement with Leipzig to sign Keita.
Liverpool agreed to pay the Guinea international’s buyout clause and an additional fee to guarantee they got the midfielder ahead of other interested clubs.
It means Keita is spending this season with Leipzig before formally joining Liverpool on July 1, 2018.
It had been claimed in some reports that Keita could make an early move to Anfield but Rangnick has shot down any hopes Liverpool may have had about Keita.
Naby Keita will join Liverpool on July 1, 2018
It would make no sense to allow Naby to join Liverpool earlier
“Even if we should not reach the knockout stages of Champions League, it would make no sense to allow Naby to join Liverpool earlier,” Rangnick told German outlet Leipziger Volkszeitung.
“We want to qualify for Europe again, and we need Naby for that.”
But speaking in August, Klopp was convinced Keita will be worth the wait.
Naby Keita won't leave RB Leipzig in January
He said: “I’ve never got so many congratulations like after making public that we’d signed Naby.
“Last year, together with [Bayern Munich midfielder] Thiago Alcantara, he was the flier. He’s doing that for two or three years in different leagues.
“Ok you have to wait, but sometimes you have to wait for a really good thing. So it’s good!”
Would you like to receive news notifications from Daily Express?