Rumour Mongering: Reds Reportedly Hope to Expedite Keïta Arrival

With Coutinho’s move to Barcelona done and dusted, all attention is turning to how Liverpool is going to fill the hole he’s leaving behind. We’ve already talked a bit about some potential replacements, but The Telegraph believes that Liverpool may opt to spend some of the Coutinho cash on expediting Naby Keïta’s arrival.

Liverpool signed Keïta last July for £57m, with the understanding that he could play one final season at RB Leipzig. With Leipzig knocked out of the Champions League, the option to move to Anfield to keep playing European football may be enough to entice Keïta, but Liverpool will have to make a stronger case to get Leipzig to agree. The German club are unlikely to give up their star player as they focus on qualification for next season’s Champions League.

Convincing Leipzig is a far shot, and even The Telegraph thinks this one’s unlikely. Liverpool and Leipzig maintained a good relationship through the summer negotiations, and it’s unlikely they’ll want to push for a move that the German club is adamantly against. However, all earnings from the Coutinho transfer are reportedly available to Klopp to use as he wants and when he wants, and some of that could go towards convincing Leipzing to let Keïta go sooner rather than later.

Either way, though, Klopp seems to be taking everything in his stride and we’re only 8 days into January. Who knows what next week will bring?

Please let it be Lemar.