RB Leipzig’s sporting director, Ralf Rangnick, has attempted to clarify comments he made about the Liverpool target Naby Keïta’s entourage after he claimed the midfielder has had his head turned by “a whole village in Guinea”.

Keïta, who has been the subject of two failed bids from Liverpool, has been told he will not be leaving the Bundesliga side this summer despite so far refusing to sign a new contract.

On Tuesday, speaking at a coaching convention in Bochum, Rangnick hit out at the 22-year-old’s agents and insisted that the midfielder had been poorly advised. He has since attempted to clarify those comments, explaining that he retains a strong relationship with Keïta, whom he signed for RB Salzburg from the French side FC Istres in 2013.

“I know Naby from the very first day when he came to Salzburg,” Rangnick said. “We therefore have a very close relationship, also to his adviser. We are in a trusting exchange. That is exactly what I said in my lecture in Bochum.

“Behind many players with an African background, and I’ve met a lot of them, there is a clan and sometimes a whole village, that lives from the help of one football player. And it’s the case that there are people behind Naby, that demand his transfer.”

Rangnick has also been criticised for his reference to a “village” but he said: “Believe me, my knowledge in geography are good enough, to differentiate between Guinea and Africa.”

Liverpool have been weighing up whether to launch a third offer for the player who is valued at around £70m by his current club. But with Keïta’s current contract containing a clause that allows him to depart next summer for less than £50m, it remains to be seen whether they make another attempt.

Manchester City have also been linked with a move for him, although Rangnick once more insisted that they are determined to hang on to the player who was named in the Bundesliga’s team of the season in May and his team-mate Emil Forsberg, who has been the subject of interest from Milan in recent weeks.

“It is important for us that these two players play next season with us. And I can assure you that. This is the only thing I know for sure,” he said.

“Even if there are still five more offers, this will not change our position. Perhaps not all have understood this. Even if the player were a classic car, I would not sell him as a classic car. He knows that I appreciate him a lot.”

Meanwhile, Jürgen Klopp has admitted Liverpool must improve their defensive performances in order to improve on last season’s fourth-placed finish.

“We have to defend different situations better and not to think about how we could make the other teams crazy with all the qualities we have,” the manager said. “We are all sick of talking about it. We defend well but in these moments we have to come absolutely in the right mood. That’s the main target.”