Liverpool are prepared to part ways with 27-year-old midfielder Naby Keita at the end of the season.
According to a report from Football Insider, Liverpool have stopped contract negotiations with Naby Keita and are ready to lose the 27-year-old as a free agent.
The former RB Leipzig midfielder’s career has been plagued with injuries since joining Liverpool for a fee of around £52.7 million. And Keita is expected to move on when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Initially, Liverpool wanted to tie him down to a new contract. And manager Jurgen Klopp remains an admirer. However, the Reds wanted him to take a pay cut because of his lack of availability since joining the club.
The player has now refused to take a pay cut, and Liverpool have decided not to proceed with contract negotiations with the 27-year-old anymore. Liverpool could look to sell the player in the January transfer window. But it is believed that Keita is holding on until the end of the season so that he can join a club on a free transfer and he will be able to demand a lucrative contract then.
The midfielder arrived at Liverpool with massive expectations, and he has shown his quality from time to time. But Keita has not had a sustained run in the side because of his fitness problems and it will be interesting to see where he ends up at the end of the season.
The 27-year-old is a top-class player when he is fit, and he will have no shortage of suitors, especially if he is available on a free transfer. Players like Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have been extremely unreliable since joining the club, and it will be interesting to see if Liverpool can replace them adequately.
The Reds must look to bring in a couple of midfield reinforcements at the end of the season, and they have been linked with Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham. The England international has been impressive in the World Cup so far, and he is likely to command a massive fee at the end of the season.
