By Kit Holden
When the silly season began in 2017, Naby Keita's name was always going to find its way into a few headlines.
The RB Leipzig midfielder's future has been one of the hot topics of European football ever since his explosive start in the Bundesliga last autumn.
Few were surprised, then, when reports last weekend alleged that Liverpool were preparing a bid of around £50m for Keita.
Equally few were surprised when more reports followed that Leipzig would not accept a penny under £70m.
So who is Naby Keita, is he really worth the money, and will he end up at Anfield, the Red Bull Arena or elsewhere come next season?
Sportsmail has the lowdown...
Who is Naby Keita?
A young central midfielder from Guinea, Keita has exploded into the higher echelons of European football in his first season at RB Leipzig.
After joining from Red Bull Salzburg last summer, the 22-year-old took the Bundesliga by storm as the motor behind Leipzig's success.
His tireless work in defensive midfield and his penetrative qualities in attack have drawn regular comparisons with Chelsea's N'Golo Kante, while others have professed to find similarities with Keita's idol, Andres Iniesta.
Former Schalke player Hans Sarpei described him as 'amazing', saying that he 'moves like music', while his former coach at Salzburg Oscar Garcia says he is 'one of the three best players I have ever coached.'
Is he really that good?
Anyone who has watched Keita over the last 12 months would struggle to find anything but praise for him.
He has been the natural flag-bearer for Leipzig's fierce pressing style, hunting down his opponents in midfield and never resting until he has won the ball back.
That has made him perhaps the most significant element of what has been an incredible success story in Leipzig.
It is he, more than any other player, who has glued together a team which exceeded all expectations by finishing second in their maiden Bundesliga season.
'When I get onto the field, all I think about is how best to defend and win the ball back, about how best to support my team. That is my main task.'
So he is mainly a defensive player?
Yes, and yet his qualities going forward have also been priceless for Leipzig. Having won the ball back, Keita is always quick to move to the next step of Leipzig's tactical style, often being at either the genesis or the heart of their rapid counter-attacks.
With eight goals and eight assists in his 31 league appearances for the club last season, Keita was one of the most prolific players in a team packed with attacking talent.
He could not only direct an attack from the edge of the final third, but also pop up as a poacher in the penalty area.
It is arguably no coincidence, in fact, that Leipzig's sustained title challenge began to stutter in the sprint, around the same time that Keita's potency in attack also began to wane.
Will Leipzig sell him?
The short answer is no, at least with regard to this summer.
Chairman Oliver Mintzlaff recently ruled out the sale of any key players this summer, as Leipzig prepare to take their unstoppable rise up to the next level in their debut Champions League season.
Director of Sport Ralf Rangnick, meanwhile, is said to have put an absolute minimum price of around £70m on Keita's head, which would rule out even Liverpool's huge offer.
As part of the Red Bull empire, Leipzig do not see themselves as a feeder club.
Unlike other Bundesliga sides such as Borussia Monchengladbach, Schalke and even Borussia Dortmund, there is less of a necessity in Leipzig to buckle when offered astronomical sums.
Does Keita not want to leave?
Despite rumours of a transfer request, it is unlikely that Keita will aggressively push for a move this summer. He has always spoken of how happy he feels in Leipzig, and has a close relationship with Rangnick.
Quite a shy man, Keita has often given the impression that he values a supportive environment very highly, and he would surely think twice about giving up his comfort in Saxony.
Nonetheless, he is undoubtedly ambitious, having expressed a desire to be 'the best player in the world' in the past.
Whether it is this summer or the next, Keita will certainly be looking to move his career on, and that may mean a move abroad, particularly if Leipzig's maiden Champions League campaign falls flat.
Does Keita not want to leave?
Despite rumours of a transfer request, it is unlikely that Keita will aggressively push for a move this summer. He has always spoken of how happy he feels in Leipzig, and has a close relationship with Rangnick.
Quite a shy man, Keita has often given the impression that he values a supportive environment very highly, and he would surely think twice about giving up his comfort in Saxony.
Nonetheless, he is undoubtedly ambitious, having expressed a desire to be 'the best player in the world' in the past.
Whether it is this summer or the next, Keita will certainly be looking to move his career on, and that may mean a move abroad, particularly if Leipzig's maiden Champions League campaign falls flat.
Source: Daily Mail