Rumour Mongering: Naby Keïta to Refuse Contract Talks Until January

After a 2021-22 season in which midfielder Naby Keïta made as much of a contribution for Liverpool as at any point since the Reds paid £52.75M to sign him from RB Leipzig in 2018, the 2022-23 season was meant to be his prove-it campaign.

Instead, Keïta fell injured yet again. His sole contribution has been a five-minute cameo in the Community Shield and the timeline for his return to action remains uncertain. He’s also into the final year of his contract, rather complicating matters.

Liverpool have been said to want to extend despite his injury history and and struggles for form whenever he is fit. The player, on the other hand, has dragged his feet with regular rumours on the matter emanating from his German-based agent.

Most often they have suggested the player wants the club and Jürgen Klopp to prove he will get significant minutes, something easier said than done for a player who can’t stay healthy. And so again this week it’s more of the same out of Germany.

This time around it’s Bild head of football coverage Christian Falk with the update, and the update is that Keïta won’t consider any Liverpool offer until January—which is also when he’s officially free to listen to offers from clubs outside England.

Most of the speculation over Keïta’s future in recent months has focused on a potential return to the Bundesliga, with Borussia Dortmund regularly mentioned and a return to Leipzig also seeming a plausible possibility for the 27-year-old.

As for Liverpool, if Keïta still wants it proven there are minutes for him at Anfield, given his status and the upcoming World Cup it’s difficult to see that happening by January, and so if that’s what he wants his future almost certainly lies elsewhere.