Liverpool Football Club have confirmed they have reached an agreement with RB Leipzig for the future transfer of Naby Keita, according to the club's official website.
The Reds have agreed on a deal with the German club and the midfielder that will see the 22-year-old move to Anfield on July 1, 2018, following the conclusion of the current season.
Also read: Liverpool make Thomas Lemar inquiry, planning to pay record £55m for the France international
Keita, a Guinea international, joined Leipzig from Red Bull Salzburg in 2016 and scored eight goals in 31 Bundesliga appearances last term to help them to a second-place finish.
"I am delighted that an agreement has been reached which will allow me to join Liverpool Football Club next summer, when I will become part of a project that excites me greatly," he said.
"My commitment to RBL remains absolute for the remainder of my time at the club. I have given my all every time I have worn the shirt – that will be the case until the final whistle, in my final appearance.
"Having my future resolved means I can now focus on helping RBL achieve great things this season. Until I join my new club, next summer, I will remain an interested supporter from a distance."
Jurgen Klopp was unrelenting in his pursuit of Red Bull Leipzig star Keita this summer, as per the Express.
And his persistence paid off after Leipzig finally agreed to sell the Guinea international for a premium on top of his £48million fee.
What is less obvious is why only the Anfield club have pursued Keïta so vigorously this summer when his performances during a first season in Germany are generally regarded as having been outstanding so as to see him named in the Bundesliga's team of the season for 2016-17.
He has been likened to N'Golo Kante for his natural ability to read the game, claiming interceptions and regaining the ball.
What has been a summer of frustration for Jürgen Klopp in his pursuit of Keïta will end in a certain sense of elation even if he must wait a little longer to take delivery of the talent, reports Paul Joyce of the Times.
Across Europe, Keita had more take-ons (83) than Real Betis' Dani Ceballos (79), Tottenham Hotspur's Mousa Dembele (78) and Manchester United's Paul Pogba (72).
It is clear he will add drive and intensity to Liverpool's midfield.
