Sources: Major update on Naby Keita’s Liverpool future after £80m+ reveal
Liverpool will not attempt to resurrect Naby Keita contract talks despite his impressive return to the team, sources have told Football Insider.
The midfielder, 27, has been one of the few players in Jurgen Klopp’s struggling side to impress since the World Cup and has started the club’s last three matches.
Liverpool had been reluctant to lose Keita for nothing in the summer and held talks on an extension to his current deal.
But those negotiations have failed to secure an agreement, and the Guinea international will now leave on a free transfer in the summer.
A January transfer was never on the cards for Keita as Jurgen Klopp was already short of midfield options and Keita remains a key player when fit and available.
He has jumped ahead of the likes of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the midfield pecking order during what has been a wretched spell for Liverpool.
On Friday, Liverpool added the Guinea international to their Champions League squad along with Oxlade-Chamberlain and Cody Gakpo, axing Arthur Melo and Calvin Ramsay.
But the club wanted Keita to take a pay cut to stay, largely due to his poor availability record and the series of injuries that have plagued his Anfield career.
Football Insider injury expert Ben Dinnery revealed that Keita “has only played 26% of the league minutes available since he came to the club”.
As a result, the midfielder’s £52.75million transfer from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2018 can be regarded as a disappointing deal.
Add wages and bonuses to that and he has cost Liverpool over £80m over the last five years.
During his four-and-a-half seasons at Anfield, Keita has made 126 appearances, scoring 11 goals and supplying seven assists.
The midfielder has been unable to match his regular goal contributions at former clubs Leipzig and RB Salzburg.
In other news, Kieran Maguire: Liverpool ready to trigger option as details of £120m deal emerge