Report: Keita to join Liverpool next summer in club-record deal

RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita is set to join Liverpool in a club-record deal - but not until next summer - according to Phil McNulty from BBC Sport.

Keita is undergoing a medical, with Jurgen Klopp's side paying a premium on top of activating the 22-year-old's £48-million release clause, Paul Joyce of the Times adds. But the move will only become official July 1, 2018.

The Guinea international turned heads last season in the Bundesliga with a combination of his passing ability and skillful movement. He notched eight goals in 31 appearances for RB Leipzig last season.

Keita has been linked with a move to Anfield through the summer transfer window but a move failed to materialize and the club reportedly ended its interest by the end of July. The Reds have also been linked with AS Monaco winger Thomas Lemar this week in another potential club-record deal.

In either case, Liverpool would spend more than the £35 million it took to nab Andy Carroll out of Newcastle, McNulty notes. It's a move that remains at the top of the club's spending records despite a number of higher-profile signings in the years that followed, including Mohamed Salah just shy of the mark.