Conflicting reports have emerged about whether Naby Keita’s future hangs in the balance after his injury-hit spell in Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Guinea international Keita‘s move to Anfield from Leipzig was announced in the summer of 2017, but he spent the 2017/18 campaign in the Bundesliga.
The midfielder’s first season under Klopp ended in frustration, seeing him build up exciting spells of form before being set back by a series of muscle and groin injuries.
A similar pattern has emerged this term, the 25-year-old appearing in only nine of his side’s 29 Premier League games while playing nine times in other competitions.
According to the Daily Mirror, there are doubts within Liverpool about whether Keita has justified his initial £52.75million transfer fee.
The newspaper adds that Keita’s “combative” style is not a trait Klopp’s men are lacking in, with the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson proving their abilities to get forward.
However, German news outlet Bild claims that Leipzig are likely to steer clear of a move for Keita if offered the chance.
It is said that at 25 and having played at the highest level in England, such factors go against Leipzig’s policy of signing players 24 and under who have a high sell-on potential.
Furthermore, Liverpool reportedly pay Keita €12million a season, a figure Leipzig would be unable to match.
Indeed, it is also claimed that Keita would unlikely take a pay cut to the sorts of figures the Bundesliga club would be able to afford.
Aside from those factors, the premise of a €50million-plus fee is likely to wane Leipzig’s interest.
In other news, fellow midfielder Wijnaldum has opened up on how he has had to suppress his attacking instincts to fit into Klopp’s plans.
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The Netherlands international has an excellent goalscoring record for his country but has largely failed to recreate that for his club.