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Jurgen Klopp says he’s not entertaining the prospect of selling Naby Keita before the September 1 transfer deadline – but admitted a replacement would be needed if the Guinea international departs this month.
Keita is into the final year of the terms he initially penned in 2017 before joining in the summer of 2018 and is free to talk to clubs outside of England in January on a pre-contract deal.
The £52m midfielder is yet to feature this season with illness keeping him out of the Fulham game on August 6 before he was an unused substitute in Liverpool‘s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace last week.
Face-to-face talks were held over Keita’s future in Spain earlier this month and Klopp says he won’t be looking to offload the former RB Leipzig star this month.
“Do we sell Naby now and not replace him? No, that is not possible,” Klopp said. “Of course not. But it is not the plan. We are done, so we don’t think that a player can go and we don’t replace him.
“No, there’s no chance. Naby will not go but if he would, which he will not do, there must be a replacement, of course. It’s clear.”