Liverpool have agreed a club-record deal to sign Naby Keita from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2018, according to multiple reports.
The 22-year-old underwent a medical in England on Monday but will stay with Leipzig this season before joining Liverpool next summer, sources confirmed.
Liverpool had been watching the Guinea midfielder all summer and had two bids rejected by the Bundesliga runners-up — the second of which was worth €75 million (£69.3m), Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz said.
Leipzig’s stance — both publicly and privately — has been that Keita is not exiting at any price this summer as the club prepare for Champions League football for the first time in their history.
However, Keita’s contract reportedly includes an exit clause of €52m (£48m) that can be activated on July 1, 2018, and Leipzig have sanctioned the move to Liverpool.
That deal will surpass the previous record fee of £36.9m (€42m) — plus add-ons — that Liverpool paid Roma for winger Mohamed Salah in June.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate