No January Switch for Naby Keita as Jurgen Klopp Rubbishes Early Liverpool Move Rumours

Jurgen Klopp has dismissed suggestions that Naby Keita could join Liverpool earlier than expected in the January transfer window.

The RB Leipzig star is set to move to Anfield for a club record £48m next July, but reports in the media had alleged that the transfer could go through earlier after the Bundesliga club failed to qualify for the last-16 of this season's Champions League.

Klopp, however, was quoted by Sky Sports as he scoffed at that speculation and remarked that the Reds would have to wait until next summer before landing their key target.

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He said: "There is an agreement with the club that he will come in June or July to Liverpool.

"There is nothing else to say about that. We really don't think about it because of all the things Leipzig have said.

"They said they do not have to sell any player. Why should they do something like that (letting him leave in January)? So no, we don't think about it."

The German also had little time for questions asking if Klopp had been in contact with Guinea international Keita throughout this term.

He merely stated "No. He is a player of Leipzig."

Liverpool chased Keita's signature all summer long before seemingly ending their long-standing interest in the 22-year-old after Leipzig continuously rebuffed their bids for the tireless midfielder.

However, a bolt out of the blue for Liverpool fans came not long after the transfer window closed at the end of August as the Merseyside outfit announced that they had come to an agreement to sign Keita for just shy of £50m next summer.

Keita's form for Leipzig has been up and down since that announcement was made, with the centre midfielder weighing in with five goals in 19 appearances for his team - but that has been dampened by three red cards for club and country so far during the 2017/18 campaign.