Jurgen Klopp Asks $71M Star To Leave Liverpool At The End Of Season: Report

Jurgen Klopp has reportedly asked midfielder Naby Keita to look for another club by the summer of 2022.

Klopp "doesn’t want" Keita at Liverpool anymore and the midfielder’s agent has begun to analyze the offers he has been receiving for his Guinean client, reported Catalan publication El Nacional.

Keita remains the third most expensive buy of Klopp at Liverpool. In the summer of 2018, Liverpool signed Keita from RB Leipzig at $71 million. While there is no doubt the midfielder is talented, his stay at Anfield has been massively hit by various injuries, which has restricted Keita from justifying his price tag.

The 26-year-old midfielder is contracted with Liverpool until 2023. In order to cash in on him, Liverpool will offload the Guinean national team’s captain at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.

The report has further claimed that FC Barcelona are in the "pole position" to sign Keita, who the Catalans are seeing as a possible replacement for Frenkie de Jong, according to The Hard Tackle. De Jong has been linked with quite a few top European clubs, including Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Keita right now is on international duty with Guinea at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Apart from Keita, Liverpool will also be without their key forwards Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, who are also set to participate in the tournament.

Keita’s injuries have often left Klopp and Liverpool frustrated. Keita missed 17 games last season due to various injuries, along with six more games after contracting the coronavirus. Even in the ongoing campaign, the Guinean skipper missed over six games due to a hamstring issue in November 2021. He has made 16 appearances for the Reds, scoring three goals and assisting one, across all competitions.

Liverpool are currently placed third in the 2021-22 Premier League table. They have 42 points from 20 games, 11 behind table-toppers Manchester City. But Klopp’s side has a game in hand.