Naby Keita heads back to driving school… as RB Leipzig deny he will be allowed to leave for Liverpool early
Midfielder pays penalty for submitting fake driving licence as German authorities demand he takes driving test
LIVERPOOL'S £48million star-in-waiting Naby Keita faces having to dust down his 'L' plates - and head back to driving school.
The Red Bull Leipzig midfielder, 22, owns four cars including two Mercedes and a Porsche.
But Keita has just been fined a six-figure sum - reportedly £377,000 - for allegedly using a forged driving licence.
The Guinea international is due to move to Anfield next summer after Leipzig poured cold water on reports that it could be January.
In the meantime he reportedly used fake papers from his home country in attempts to obtain a German licence.
Keita has since been forced to take taxis to and from training, and leave his costly motors in the garage.
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And Germany's leading automobile organisation ADAC has now revealed the player must pass a driving test in the country.
Markus Schape, ADAC's head of legal affairs, said: "Keita first has to qualify for a driving licence in Germany before he gets back behind the wheel.
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"If he is found guilty in the legal proceedings the court can even delay him from taking the test for up to six months."
Leipzig officials claimed Keita had convinced them he had not used fake documents.
But Dr Schape insisted: "That is virtually impossible. Of course the club will believe their player for the time being.
"But the state's criminal department has document experts. There are lots of forgeries in circulation, from Eastern Europe among other places."
Meanwhile, that talk of Keita joining Liverpool earlier in January has been scotched by Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick.
He told Leipziger Volkszeitung: "Even if we should not reach the knockout stages of the Champions League, it would make no sense to allow Naby to join Liverpool earlier.
"We want to qualify for Europe again and we need Naby for that."
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Keita, incidentally, has been sent off three times this season, twice for his club and once for Guinea.
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