What is expected of Naby Keita at Liverpool as exit speculation grows amid contract tussle
Guinean midfielder Naby Keita joined Liverpool in the summer of 2018, finally fulfilling a long-standing dream held by both club and fan.
He was signed from RB Leipzig for £52.75m at the end of an arduous transfer saga that dragged on in the background for some time before a deal was struck.
Keita was deemed vital for Liverpool's future, with Jurgen Klopp having successfully convinced owners FSG to break the bank to sign him as he already had his eye on the Champions League final of that season.
FSG did not doubt Klopp's judgement and decided to give him his man - but it would be more than a year before Keita could make his move.
However, since that day four years ago, there has been no real progress in Keita's career.
Things have gone downhill rather dramatically since his debut season at Liverpool where he made 33 appearances, scoring three goals and making one assist.
Since then, he has struggled to adapt to life at Anfield - and now there are growing doubts over whether he is really needed by Klopp anymore.
Injuries have played their part in disrupting Keita's subsequent seasons at Liverpool too, restricting him to just 10 Premier League appearances in 2020/21 season.
Is It Time For Naby Keita To Join A New Club?
In recent days, several stories have made the rounds suggesting that Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita is ready to leave the club for a new challenge. The 23-year-old has witnessed struggling years under the Merseysiders.
With so many publications claiming that Keita is set to depart from Leipzig in the summer, we’ve taken an in-depth look at whether or not this makes sense. Should Naby Keita look to leave Liverpool sooner rather than later?
Why Keita May Be Ready To Leave RB Leipzig
In recent weeks, several stories have been published that suggest Naby Keita is ready to leave RB Leipzig. In fact, it’s even been claimed that the midfielder is actively looking for a new club. The suggestion being that Keita wants to make a move to boost his chances of regular football.
Liverpool have been a huge force in the Premier League in the recent years and this season the club will play in the all major competitions once again, it’s natural that some players could find it more difficult to play as regularly as they’d like with the arrival of new faces to the since the beginning of the year.
It must be remembered that Keita is playing in the middle of the park for Liverpool and he'll compete the likes of Harvey Elliott who's also gaining Jurgen Klopp's favour this, even at this, a call for new creative midfield players rings the bell more for the Liverpool No. 8. And, in truth, it’s unlikely that Keita will get the better game time as he's already losing the ground amid injuries.
A New Club Would Pay More Than RB Leipzig?
We’ve already touched on the fact that Keita's contract at Liverpool runs until the summer of 2023. And while the Anfield club can extend that deal by further years, there’s no guarantee that will happen.
The have been no reports linking Naby Keita with a new club. But one time, Liverpool were rumoured to be looking at using the player in a swap for Nicolo Barella.
The Merseyside club have every right to be confident that they can tie down Keita to a new contract before the end of the summer transfer window, but if a club comes in with a huge offer for the Guinea international he may be unable to resist.
And if Keita does leave, Liverpool will be able to cash in on a transfer fee well below the €60million fee they paid for him in 2018.
Naby Keita Is Still Under Contract For Another Year but there's uncertainty about his future
Despite being under contract until the summer of 2023, Keita is yet to publicly state that he wishes to leave Liverpool and he's yet to come to agreement on a new deal with the club.
Should Liverpool sell Keita this summer? Let us know in the comments below!
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