Liverpool’s Naby Keita ‘is at the centre of a tug of war between Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig’

Two Bundesliga clubs are reportedly attempting to lure Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita to Germany in the summer.

Keita’s contract at Anfield expires in June, with the 28-year-old departing the club having lifted the Champions League, Premier League, and both domestic cups since first joining Jurgen Klopp’s side in 2018.

Now, there are suggestions that Klopp’s former club Borussia Dortmund will try to secure a free agent deal for Keita, however are likely to face competition from RB Leipzig, according to SportBild.

The Bundesliga duo have identified Keita as an achievable target given his current contract status at Liverpool and the player’s reported preference that he would favour a move back to the German league rather than elsewhere in Europe or further afield.

Keita previously plied his craft at RB Leipzig before moving to the Premier League and could re-join the club as they look to pad out their midfield.

Keita is reportedly wanted by Bundesliga clubs RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund

However, Jude Bellingham’s expected exit from Dortmund means they will be looking at replacement targets. Keita is on the list as one of those options.

Dortmund registered their interest in Keita with Liverpool in the autumn, while Leipzig reportedly tried to convince him to make a January switch that would have involved the Premier League outfit receiving a transfer fee.

Both club and player apparently rejected the move with Klopp’s midfield already at it’s bare bones and Keita preferring a summer switch instead.

The box-to-box midfielder has struggled to shine at Liverpool despite his trophy collection and has largely failed to match the potential that he arrived in England with five years ago.

Injuries and inconsistent form have seen the Guinean star make more than 20 league appearances just twice over the past four seasons, with it unlikely that he will exceed that this season given he has made just 12 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool. 

Keita (right) has won everything at Liverpool including the Champions League but will leave the club having failed to match the potential with which he arrived

Leipzig and Dortmund’s transfer battles have been well documented in recent seasons with both clubs trying to enhance their status as being one of the world leaders for developing the next generation of superstars.

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland visited both club’s prior to his eventual move to Dortmund from RB Salzburg in 2019. 

Leipzig had supposedly laid on a private jet for the Norwegian who eventually decided the five-time Bundesliga champions were the better option for his development.

Both team’s also wrangled for Bellingham’s signature with Dortmund again coming out on top in the boardroom battle, however Leipzig’s acquisition of defender Lukas Klostermann did see them get one up on their Bundesliga rivals.