NABY KEITA is a free transfer target for Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, according to reports.
The Liverpool midfielder’s Anfield contract expires at the end of this season.
And it is understood the Reds have no intention of offering the Guinea international an extension, instead allowing him to leave for free.
Now Bild report Dortmund and RB Leipzig will battle it out to bring him back to the Bundesliga.
Keita, 28, spent two years with Leipzig between 2016 and 2018 before joining Liverpool in a bumper £52.75million deal.
But despite winning the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Community Shield, Champions League and Club World Cup during his trophy-laden five years, he has struggled to nail down a regular first-team spot under Jurgen Klopp.
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Keita, who has struggled with injuries throughout his Liverpool career, has made 129 appearances – with 77 of those as a starter.
The No 8 is behind Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Thiago, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic in the central midfield pecking order – with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Artur Melo also vying for a spot when fit.
However, Keita’s five-year stint looks set to end in four months’ time as the Reds look to try and land a super deal for Jude Bellingham.
Keita joining Dortmund could boost Klopp’s chances of landing the English teenager amid competition from Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid.
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However, a return to familiar surroundings at Leipzig may be preferable for Keita.
Dortmund and Leipzig have become rivals on the pitch in recent years, often battling it out to be the best of the rest behind Bayern Munich.
But they have also had their fair share of transfer tussles – including for Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Lukas Klostermann, Timo Werner and, most recently, Austrian midfielder Nicolas Seiwald who will swap Red Bull Salzburg for RB Leipzig in the summer.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
