Liverpool are reported to be plotting an improved £65 million bid for RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita, after their first offer was rejected last week.
Reports on Thursday night revealed that the Reds’ initial bid, worth around £57 million, was turned down by the Bundesliga side.
However, developments on Friday stressed that while sporting director Ralf Rangnick is adamant Keita is not for sale, Leipzig’s hierarchy are no longer as steadfast.
This looks to have prompted Liverpool into action, with the Liverpool Echo‘s James Pearce claiming that they are set to make a new approach.
Pearce reports that “the hope is that a fee of around £65 million will convince the Bundesliga outfit to do business.”
Leipzig were said to value Keita at £70 million, but this would comfortably break the German top flight’s transfer record, which is currently the £55 million Man City paid to sign Kevin de Bruyne from VfL Wolfsburg in 2015.
Furthermore, Liverpool will hope that Keita’s desire to leave the Red Bull Arena for Anfield will persuade Leipzig to sanction his departure.
“The Guinea midfielder is desperate to sign for Liverpool,” Pearce writes, “and has urged Leipzig to grant him his dream move to Anfield.”
This report comes after the Reds’ 1-1 friendly draw with Wigan Athletic on Friday night, in which current club-record signing Mohamed Salah netted the equaliser at the DW Stadium.
Keita could follow another new arrival through the Shankly Gates, with Andrew Robertson expected to complete an £8 million move from Hull City.
Dominic Solanke has already joined from Chelsea, with a tribunal set to determine the compensation fee the Reds are required to pay their Premier League rivals.
Beyond that quartet, Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk and Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are Klopp’s only other known targets.
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