Naby Keita dismisses January Liverpool move and 'has a lot still to achieve' with RB Leipzig

Liverpool look destined to be made to wait to bring Naby Keita to Anfield after the Guinea international followed his club RB Leipzig in ruling out an early move to the Premier League.

The Reds agreed to pay a club-record £48m fee – and an undisclosed premium - to last season's Bundesliga runners-up for Keita to move to Merseyside in the summer of 2018.

Though Keita will not officially join Liverpool until next year he was one of a number of players lured away from the Red Bull Arena, with Oliver Burke and Davie Selke also leaving on a permanent basis. But according to German football expert Lee Price, author of The Bundesliga Blueprint, Liverpool could yet be able to call upon Keita mid-way through the campaign.

"As I revealed back in June, Keita had agreed Though Keita will not officially join Liverpool until next year he was one of a number of players lured away from the Red Bull Arena, with Oliver Burke and Davie Selke also leaving on a permanent basis. But according to German football expert Lee Price, author of The Bundesliga Blueprint, Liverpool could yet be able to call upon Keita mid-way through the campaign.

"As I revealed back in June, Keita had agreed terms with Liverpool long ago, and it was just Leipzig playing hard ball," he told The Sun. "Cornered by his release clause of £48m kicking in next summer, the German club always knew that they'd have to come to an agreement this summer to maximise their income, hence charging Liverpool a premium to do the deal now.

"This makes sense for all parties – unless Keita picks up an injury. There is a chance, depending on Leipzig's domestic and Champions League progress, that Liverpool could pay a further premium to capture the midfielder in January. The deal also suits the Reds, as it safeguards them against Emre Can's expiring contract – with the German expected to complete a move to Juventus at the end of the season."

One potential stumbling block in any early deal for Keita is Leipzeig's participation in Europe. Last season's Bundesliga runners-up were drawn against Monaco, Porto and Besiktas in Group G of the Champions League and will rely on Keita to help them reach the knock-out stage. However, should he feature in the preliminary stage he would be ineligible for Liverpool in the competition if he moved to England later this season.

Liverpool made just four signings during the summer, with Mohamed Salah, Dominic Solanke, Andrew Robertson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain the new faces to arrive on Merseyside. The central narrative of the summer surrounded Philippe Coutinho's attempts to join Barcelona, a saga that is expected to re-emerge in January. The Brazil international is still keen on a move to the Nou Camp.