Borussia Dortmund is interested in signing Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita as a replacement for Jude Bellingham, who could leave.
For some time, Bellingham has been the subject of interest from several European clubs, and this speculation has only increased in the last week, with Liverpool and Real Madrid reportedly eyeing moves for the starlet.
The Reds are rumored to be looking for a new midfielder, with multiple reliable sources claiming that Bellingham will be their top target in 2023.
Dortmund reportedly refused to sell their 19-year-old wunderkind last summer because they didn’t want to lose both him and Erling Haaland in the same transfer window.
However, there appears to be a growing acceptance within the German club that they will lose Bellingham next year and that they are already planning on life without him.
Liverpool’s Naby Keita has supposedly been identified as a potential replacement, with Bild reporting that Dortmund are monitoring the Guinean’s contractual situation and they are “hot for” the player.
Keita’s current deal expires next summer and although there have been rumors that the Merseyside club is keen to offer him an extension, advanced negotiations have not been reported as of yet and the 27-year-old may be beginning to consider his options.
The playmaker’s time at Anfield has been plagued by injuries and a return to the familiar settings of the Bundesliga, where he thrived for RB Leipzig between 2016 and 2018, may be appealing.
In Bellingham’s absence, Dortmund would not lose the creative assets the former Birmingham man possesses with the introduction of Keita, who has been praised for his ability to create from midfield.
The 27-year-old would add exceptional ball progression through dribbling and passing, as well as elite pressing to a Dortmund side that is currently struggling to breach Bayern Munich’s undisputed position as the best side in Germany.
Question marks stand around Keita’s durability, having never made more than 25 league appearances in a single Premier League season, but if he can stay fit there is no doubt this would be a coup for Dortmund if they can acquire him on a free transfer.
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