It was widely reported that Liverpool had the chance to sign Naby Keita early in January.

The Reds originally wrapped up the deal in the summer, on the condition that the Guinea international didn't arrive until the summer of 2018. Nevertheless, that didn't stop the Merseyside club from trying their hand five months ahead of schedule.

Having freshly offloaded Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona for £142 million, it was always worth a shot.

However, Liverpool failed in their attempts with RB Leipzig retaining their star asset in midfield and even celebrated the arrival of the transfer deadline with a cheeky tweet.

The German club soon reaped the benefits from their decision, too, with Keita enjoying a brilliant run of form in 2018 that featured a masterclass against Bayern Munich.

Liverpool's January talks with Keita  

Ultimately, Liverpool aren't exactly missing him at the moment and are fresh from a wildly impressive 3-0 win over Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Having Keita in the side wouldn't have harmed the Reds, far from it, but there's been no indication that they're in desperate need of midfield reinforcements.

Besides, as revealed by The Times, the condition RB Leipzig set for selling Keita early, simply wouldn't have been worth it for Liverpool.

RB Leipzig demanded TAA in return

According to the report, RB Leipzig offered to hand over Keita in January if they would recieve Trent Alexander-Arnold in return.

The German club recently signed Ademola Lookman on loan from Everton and it seems they wanted Alexander-Arnold to join their English contingent. 

Although it isn't clear whether Leipzig wanted a loan move or a permanent one, Liverpool refused the offer and ended any hopes of Keita arriving early in the process.

You have to say, it's an incredibly bold move but one that has paid off massively.

Alexander-Arnold scooped the Man of the Match award for his performance against Leroy Sane on Wednesday night and has generally enjoyed a fantastic breakthrough season at Anfield.

Mistakes continue to creep into his game yet his importance to the club should not be understated.

The decision to remain patient with Keita will become clear and clearer with every minute of game-time Alexander-Arnold receives.

Liverpool must have felt confidence in their decision at the time and even more so after their starlet's masterclass v City.

Do you think Liverpool made the correct decision? Have your say in the comments section below.