NABY KEITA has dealt Liverpool a blow by revealing he wants to play for a “very big club” like Manchester City.
German upstarts RB Leipzig are determined to keep hold of the Guinea midfielder, 22, and are demanding a staggering £70million.
Reds have already bagged Mo Salah from Roma for £34.3m this window.
And, with Keita thought to want out, the Merseysiders are now expected to test Leipzig’s resolve with another mega bid over the coming weeks.
However, Keita appears to have crushed Reds’ hopes of signing him by admitting that he is looking at Spain’s two big guns and City as options for when he makes the step up.
He said: “I hope, however, that I have the level in two, three years and could play for one of the very big clubs.
“This includes Barcelona, but it also includes Real Madrid or Manchester City.”
He also confirmed the clubs that made an approach for him last summer.
Keita added: "Arsenal, Southampton, Manchester City and Liverpool, although I did not talk with the coach."
German newspaper Welt claim that Keita had a conversation with fellow French-speaker Arsene Wenger, but did not discuss any move with Reds chief Jurgen Klopp.
MOST READ IN FOOTBALL
They say that he turned down a move elsewhere to continue his development with the Bundesliga club.
Keita and Leipzig stunned European football in their maiden season in Germany's top flight.
They gave Bayern Munich a run for their money in the first half of the season, before Carlo Ancelotti's team pulled clear after Christmas to finish top by 15 points.
Leipzig finished second, three points clear of Borussia Dortmund, to secure an incredible Champions League berth.
They now face a battle to hold on to their stars, with brilliant Swedish playmaker Emil Forsberg branding the club "arrogant" for "destroying his dreams" of a summer move.
Forsberg has been watched by the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, AC Milan and Bayern.
Leave a comment