Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita could leave the club in the winter transfer window as Jurgen Klopp eyes Sofyan Amrabat as a replacement, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.
Keita has been hampered with injuries since joining the Reds in 2018 from RB Leipzig. He has failed to replicate the form that saw the Reds agreed to pay his £48m release clause.
The 27-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and can agree a pre-contract with oversees European clubs in January.
As it stands, there has been no progress on his contract extension with the club. He is part of Jurgen Klopp’s squad in the United Arab Emirates for a warm weather camp ahead of a return of domestic football.
Keita, who featured for Liverpool against Manchester City in the Community shield, is yet to make an appearance this season for the former Premier League champions.
Several clubs interested
The Guinea international, who is value at €20m (£17.4m) by Transfermarkt, has been linked with a move to several clubs including AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle United and West Ham United.
According to Dharmesh Sheth, Liverpool may decide to cash-in on the midfielder this winter if they opt not to hand him a new contract over the coming weeks. In interview with GiveMeSport, he said:
“He (Keita) has had his injury problems throughout his career at Liverpool.
“There have been links once more to a return to the Bundesliga, but he is with the Liverpool squad now in Dubai and he has resumed training with them.
“It is definitely one to keep an eye on because if Liverpool decide not to extend that contract, then there might even be business to be done in January.”
Keita began his professional career with Ligue 2 club FC Istres in 2013 before moving to Red Bull Salzburg, where he won the Austrian Football Bundesliga and Austrian Cup double in both of his seasons.
He later joined RB Leipzig in 2016, making the Bundesliga Team of the Season in his first year and the UEFA Europa League squad of the season in his second.
He joined Liverpool in 2018 and has since won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, Premier League, FA Cup , Carabao Cup and Community Shield.
However, Kieta has failed to live-up to expectations at Anfield and it looks like his days at the club are numbered. Liverpool’s interest in Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat in recent weeks could spell the end for Keita at the club.
Replacement
Liverpool have been strongly linked with the Moroccan international following his superb performances at the World Cup, where he led his country to the semi-finals in Qatar.
Reports suggest that Tottenham are battling Liverpool to sign Amrabat and will pay upwards of £50m for the Fiorentina midfielder, but Foot Mercato reported recently that the Reds have already held positive talks with the players camp.
We’ll have to wait and see how things develop but Amrabat would be an excellent replacement for Kieta if Liverpool decided to cash-in on the Guinea star this winter.
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