Liverpool will have to wait 12 months to sign their number one transfer target from this summer - Naby Keita.Jurgen Klopp was desperate to add the midfielder to his squad and even offered RB Leipzig £75 million for the 22-year-old.But the Bundesliga club simply refused to budge.But with a £48 million release clause coming into action next summer, Liverpool had a plan. They decided they would pay the release clause in advance, plus a premium - with the deal expected to come to a total of £55 million.By waiting 12 months, Liverpool may have faced stiff competition from the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona for his signature - who showed interest in him this summer.And while Klopp would love to be able to call upon the Guinean international right now, he’s happy to wait for “the best player in the league.”

Klopp is happy to wait for Keita

“I have contact to a lot of people in the Bundesliga, as you can imagine, and I have never had so many congratulations messages as I had after signing Naby!" he said on Friday.

“He's the player of the league, that's how it is. Last year, together with Thiago Alcantara who played an outstanding season for Bayern, he was the flier. He's been doing this for two or three years, with different clubs in different leagues, but he's still a young boy.

“It's really good news. OK, we have to wait but sometimes we have to wait for a really good thing. I have no problem with this. I would have preferred, of course, another situation, but it's cool!”

Until then, though, everyone at Liverpool will be keeping a close eye on the soon-to-be club record signing.

And their first chance to watch him in domestic action came on Friday night as his Leipzig side travelled to Hamburger SV.

And those Liverpool fans that tuned it would have been very excited indeed.

Not only did Keita score an absolute screamer but he produced a magnificent performance as Leipzig ran out 2-0 winners.

Watch: Naby Keita's highlights for RB Leipzig

Take a look at the midfielder’s highlights from the game:

Liverpool fans react

And this is how the Liverpool fans reacted on Twitter:

Impressive.

While Keita’s displays will excite Liverpool fans, everything Klopp is saying about the player will also whet their appetite.

Signing a player 12 months in advance isn’t unprecedented, but it certainly is unusual.

What is if Keita gets a long-term injury? Or what if Liverpool fail to qualify for the Champions League next season?

Keita didn't ask about Champions League football

But Klopp has revealed that the player has no concerns about whether he’ll be playing Champions League football with Liverpool because he’s simply excited by the manager’s project.

“For example, Naby has no idea if we play Champions League next year because in England it is always difficult (to qualify),” Klopp admitted.

“He did not ask one second about this. He wanted to be part of the club.”

Only 294 days to wait until Keita is a Liverpool player.