Liverpool round-up: £100m not enough for Keita; move for Leicester star possible; confidence over Sakho price tag

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Liverpool have been hit by yet another setback in their pursuit of Red Bull Leipzig’s Naby Keita as the Liverpool Echo quote Director of Football Ralf Rangnick as being prepared to reject even a world record bid for the Guinean. He told the media that no figure would tempt the German club to sell, saying:

“There are no pain limits, even in the three-digit range! We will not sell a starter, and it doesn’t matter if someone says he does not know where he is going next season. It’s enough if we know. I’m assuming that our transfer efforts are (now) completed.”

Liverpool have seemed desperate to get their man and their have been some indications, including in the report from the Echo, that the central midfielder may be keen on the potential move. Keita is yet to return to pre-season training and there may be more developments once he is back in action at the club.

Another player linked to the club, this time by the Mirror, is Leicester City winger Demarai Gray. The England under 21 international impressed at the European under-21 Championships this summer and has sought assurances from Craig Shakespeare that he will have more regular game time after just nine Premier League starts last season.

The pacey wide man usually plays on the left and is also being tracked by Tottenham. It remains a possibility that he will be satisfied by the Foxes, particularly with Riyad Mahrez having submitted a transfer request earlier this summer, but Liverpool will certainly keep an eye on the situation.

One player almost certainly on the move is central defender Mamadou Sakho, as the Liverpool Echo say that they will not budge on their £30 million valuation. The club have had numerous enquiries into the Frenchman, who has three years left to run on his current contract.

His previous loan club Crystal Palace are keen and remain the favourites to sign the defender, with personal terms not an issue, but they are reluctant to pay the asking price. Given Michael Keane’s £25 million move to Everton with only one year left on his Burnley contract, and with strong interest from several clubs, the Reds are showing no signs of lowering his price tag.

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