RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita insists he is paying no attention to the speculation surrounding his future amid interest from Liverpool.
This comes after Goal reported that preliminary talks between the 22-year-old’s representatives and the Reds’ chiefs had been positive, and that the Merseysiders were ready to smash their transfer record to sign him.
The report also states that Klopp regards the Guinea international as an “elite” player, who is among the world’s best in his position.
However, Keita seems to have poured cold water on these rumours with his latest interview with the official Bundesliga website.
He said: “I really don’t worry about such things. My only focus is on our games and my performances; they are the most important things.
“I am a young player who never cares about rumours or what appears in the newspapers. I am now looking forward to a well-earned holiday and then to next season.”
The 22-year-old has been a mainstay of Leipzig’s midfield this term, making 31 appearances in the Bundesliga, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists.
He was signed by Leipzig from their sister club RB Salzburg for £12million in July 2016 and he has since been deployed by manager Ralph Hasenhuttl as a box-to-box midfielder and as an attacking midfielder.
It is understood by Goal that his club want to hold onto him after finishing in second-place in this season’s German top-flight, thereby securing Champions League football for next term.
Keita is not worrying about the speculation surrounding his future, but the fact he shares the same agency as Liverpool ace Sadio Mane could be a helpful element in the Reds’ attempts to sign him.