Liverpool want to hasten Naby Keita’s arrival from RB Leipzig following Philippe Coutinho’s departure to Barcelona.

Liverpool have been linked with Thomas Lemar and Riyad Mahrez as potential Coutinho’s replacement. However, Jürgen Klopp has been insistent that the club will only sign a replacement if the right player becomes available this month. Reports suggest that instead, he is keen on bringing forward Keïta’s £57 million move from RB Leipzig which is presently scheduled to come into effect on July 1.

Of course, the Bundesliga side is not keen on letting the key player leave early as it will be detrimental to the club’s season.

Leipzig are not open to letting Naby Keita leave during this window. Europa League challenges and a quest for Champions League qualification through the #Bundesliga far outweigh the departure of any key player in January. #RBL

— Chris Williams (@Chris78Williams) January 7, 2018

The German club seems determined to retain his services as they compete to qualify for next year’s Champions League. At the same time, Liverpool seem keen to pay more and get his services earlier. While the deal looks unlikely, Liverpool do have the money to pay some more money and get Keita to Anfield earlier than stated.