Fortuna Duesseldorf v Borussia Dortmund - BundesligaPhoto by Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images

Sebastian Kehl claims the Bundesliga side plan to keep Sancho next season.

Liverpool’s hopes to claim the talent of Jadon Sancho for next season hit a snag recently. On Saturday, Borussia Dortmund squad manager Sebastian Kehl went on Sky Sports to rebutt the rumour of Sancho’s near-exit.

“There is nothing to it,” Kehl insisted. “We’d like to think that he will continue to play for us next season.”

This may be a bit of hardball from the German side, to help boost the value of the 20-year-old winger. Liverpool is said to be battling rivals Manchester United for the chance to sign him.

The English star made a splash in the Bundesliga this season, and though his contract extends to 2022, his value, which Dortmund put at roughly £177m, may never be higher. It will be interesting to see if the club sells this summer to guarantee that high payout or if he stays in Germany for another year.

Klopp’s Dortmund connection of course links every interesting prospect out of that club with the Reds, but it’s no secret the Liverpool could use reinforcements up front. Sancho, who scored an impressive 17 goals and 17 assists so far this season, fits the bill perfectly.