Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly eyeing a summer deal to sign RasenBallsport Leipzig superstar Naby Keita
German publication Bild have reported that Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are interested in RasenBallsport Leipzig superstar Naby Keita. The player, who was earlier linked heavily with a move to Borussia Dortmund, is now on the radar of two European giants, with both eyeing a summer deal to sign the highly-rated Guinean.
Naby Keita is one of the players to have made the jump from Red Bull’s Austrian franchise, RB Salzburg to RB Leipzig in a €15 million move in the summer of 2016. The player has made quite a splash in his debut Bundesliga campaign and has been absolutely immense for the newcomers.
4 goals and 7 assists in 20 Bundesliga appearances for RB Leipzig, who have taken the league by storm in their debut campaign, much like their superstar Naby Keita. The player’s recent performance against FC Koln, where he ended the match with 2 assists, would have surely piqued the interest of the suitors.
Naby Keïta’s game by numbers vs. Koln:
1 assist
2 crosses
3 blocks
4 chance created
7/10 tackles wonUp-and-coming star. #RBL pic.twitter.com/KrKGgj8Vhi
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 25, 2017
Keita is contracted to RB Leipzig till 2020 and as per the technical director of the club, Ralf Rangnick, the player is in talks for an extension on his current deal.
Rangnick said, “We are already in talks and can imagine, similar to Emil Forsberg, the contract again prematurely adjust and extend. We want to meet the developments of the players flanking. But we will not throw our guard rails overboard with both hands.”
This means that Rangnick highlighted that the club are fully aware of Keita’s talents and are keen to get him to commit while also being cautious that they do not break their wage structure in order to keep him at the club.
Leipzig only recently confirmed the extension of Emil Forsberg, who was linked with a move to Liverpool, which sees the Swede pocket around €4 million a year. And, the club is looking to offer Naby Keita, who currently earns around €2.7 million, a contract around the same terms as Forsberg’s.
As per Bild’s report, the club are prepared to pump Keita’s salary up to €4.5 million a year overall, which would make him one of the highest earners at the club. But Arsenal are looking to add a midfielder to their ranks, with Santi Cazorla entering his twilight years and Francis Coquelin going amiss often in the big games.
The Gunners are pursuing the player with vigour, along with Paris Saint-Germain who have been credited with interest in Keita, from the time he was linked with Borussia Dortmund. PSG’s Verratti and Rabiot have been linked with moves to other clubs, which may prompt the French powerhouse to move for the 22-year-old.
The Guinean international’s influence within the RB Leipzig squad isn’t unknown to the manager either, who highlighted the player’s abilities.
Ralph Hasenhuttl said, “On the ball, he is a feast for the eyes! He also grows more and more with us, feels very comfortable. This is very important to him.”
The player is likely to command a transfer fee in the higher echelons, especially considering the fact that Keita arrived at RB Leipzig for €15 million and taking into account the growth in his stocks and reputation since joining the Bundesliga side.
Arsenal, though, have shown in the recent times that they are not too shy of spending huge in order to get the right player. And neither would PSG shy away from pulling out the millions in order to land Keita, should he decide to seek for newer pastures.
For now though, Naby Keita would hope to aid his team’s surprising and fairytale of a title challenge, as they sit second just 5 points off leaders Bayern Munich on the table.
