Liverpool have secured the signature of Naby Keita for a club record fee, and the player has revealed his excitement about linking up with the club ahead of next season.
The Reds had been chasing the Guinea international for much of the summer, but looked destined to draw a blank after having at least two bids rejected by his club RB Leipzig.
Keita played a huge role in the German side finishing second behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga last term, a placing which guaranteed their position in the UEFA Champions League.
And although the Premier League club accepted defeat in their pursuit of the 22-year-old, they have wrapped up a deal for next summer after agreeing to pay his £48million release clause.
“I am delighted that an agreement has been reached and I will become part of a project that excites me greatly,” said Keita. “My commitment to RBL remains absolute for the remainder of my time at the club.
“Having my future resolved means I can now focus on helping RBL achieve great things this season. Until I join my new club, next summer, I will remain an interested supporter from a distance.”
Keita’s release clause only kicks in after the current season, but Jurgen Klopp was keen to arrange a deal well in advance of this as he feels the competition for the player would have been huge next year.
The fee for the midfielder surpasses the £39.5million the Merseyside club paid Roma for Mohamed Salah earlier this summer, but could yet be bettered in the final days of the window.
It has been widely reported that Klopp is keen to add forward Monaco’s Thomas Lemar to his options, whilst a deal for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk would be worth at least £60million.
