RB Leipzig have issued a message of defiance over Liverpool target Naby Keita.
The Guinea international has been the subject of a number of bids from the Reds this summer, with the Guardian reporting last month that they had seen a £66million offer knocked back.
The Bundesliga club are desperate to keep hold of the midfielder and in telling Bild exactly why that approach was rejected, managing director Oliver Mintzlaff has not given Jurgen Klopp much hope for the future.
“€75m (£66.9m) is not enough to buy Keita. He is world class, he stays,” he said.
“RB Leipzig is looking forward to the next season together with Naby Keita.”
Liverpool are targeting a central midfielder, with Jordan Henderson’s injury problems once again proving a problem last season. Lucas Leiva’s departure for Lazio has made the situation all the more urgent, even if the Brazilian wasn’t first choice.
Keita was one of Leipzig’s star men as they put in a surprise title challenge, though they ultimately lost out to Bayern Munich.
Their critics will deride their meteoric rise as being the result of heavy investment, but equally, their financial muscle means they do not have to sell to Liverpool.
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