Barcelona are monitoring Naby Keita’s contract situation as they prepare to land several free agents next summer, according to Catalan daily SPORT .
The Liverpool midfielder has not featured since the 3-1 Community Shield victory over Manchester City in August as a result of several injury setbacks and a short period of illness. His omission from the squad for the Champions League group stages suggests there is still some way to go before a return to play.
And with his current contract at the Reds ending next summer, speculation is growing over whether the 27-year-old will be on Merseyside for much longer. Reports suggest multiple clubs are monitoring the situation at Anfield, with neither Liverpool nor Keita showing any urgency in extending the midfielder’s current deal and time swiftly running out.
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Former club RB Leipzig, whom Keita left for Liverpool in 2018 for over £52.75million, are interested in taking the Guinea international back, while Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund are also keeping an eye on any developments. And now Barcelona look to have joined the race.
The Spanish side are weighing up several of next summer’s potential free agents as they look to bolster their squad on a budget. Their director of football, Mateu Alemany has already stressed that they will utilise the free market - as they did this summer when signing the likes of Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen and Hector Bellerin.
And with Keita’s contract ending at the end of June 2023, the midfielder is able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with other clubs in January. That makes the prospect of Liverpool having to compete with other potential suitors come next year a very real possibility, with Keita able to weigh up any offers before making his decision.
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