RB Leipzig chairman, Oliver Mintzlaf, has ruled out the Bundesliga club selling winger Emil Forsberg or midfielder Naby Keita, both of whom Arsenal have been linked with.
- Chairman rules out selling key players this summer
- Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, and Liverpool all linked with Keita
- Gunners reportedly ready to pay £20m for Forsberg
Arsenal have been linked with both Forsberg and Keita recently. However, Leipzig’s chairman, Mintzlaf, insists that neither is leaving this summer.
“It would be negligent to let one of our key players go,” the chairman told by Bild [via InsideFutbol].
“Emil and Naby are extremely talented and developable players.
“We are glad that we are able to keep up with their development as a club and now we can prove ourselves in the Champions League in the coming season.”
He added, “Concrete offers are not there, but let’s say, of course the guys have aroused great interest through their performances.
“That is the normal way, but we are not concerned about that.”
RB Leipzig’s director of football, Ralf Rangick, has also previously claimed that the Bundesliga club wouldn’t be selling 25-year-old Forsberg, who Arsenal were apparently willing to pay £20m for.
The winger scored eight last season and assisted an impressive 22.
Meanwhile, central midfielder Keita scored eight and assisted the same amount in total last season, and was also linked with Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham.
However, the club’s manager, Ralph Hasenhuttl, came out in May to say that the 22-year-old wouldn’t be going anywhere.
Therefore, Mintzlaf’s most recently comments are hardly a surprise.