Why Liverpool should not let go of Naby Keita

According to Milan Live (h/t Daily Express), Naby Keita is ready to leave Liverpool in order to rediscover his best form.

The report also claims that the 25-year-old Reds midfielder is a target for Serie A side AC Milan, where he would reunite with his former RB Leipzig manager Ralf Rangnick.

Keita arrived at the Anfield in the summer of 2017 for a hefty sum of around £53million but has never really been able to establish himself in the side. Despite making a total of 71 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, Keita has mostly found himself falling down the pecking order under manager Jurgen Klopp.

Since his move from former side Leipzig three years ago, Keita has scored 17 goals and provided 15 assists, suggesting that he is clearly not short of talent. However, he has featured just 18 times for Liverpool and has mostly been behind Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain and James Milner in the pecking order.

Keita offers Liverpool versatility in the midfield

Liverpool are well-stocked in the middle with as many as eight midfielders in their ranks including Keita. Klopp has mostly preferred the midfield-three of Fabinho, Henderson and Wijnaldum above everyone else in the squad. They have performed pretty well, with the side now atop the Premier League.

However, they do not have much depth in the defensive midfield role, with only Fabinho, Henderson, and Keita capable of playing in that position. Fabinho remains Klopp’s obvious first-choice man in the holding midfield role.

But an injury to the Brazilian early in the season had seen Klopp having to shift Henderson into a deeper role in order to add balance to the side’s midfield.

Having played in that role on numerous occasions for both Liverpool and Leipzig, Keita is an asset for any side, not just Liverpool. In his 226 career appearances, the £120k-a-week Guinean has featured 26 times as a defensive midfielder and could prove to be valuable for the Reds if such a situation arises.

That said, Liverpool should keep some more faith in Keita and offer him more chances rather than letting him go amidst interest from Italy.

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• Opinion: Liverpool must make a move for teenagers Ravil Tagir and Burak Ince

Verdict

Keita’s versatility and experience is an added bonus for a side like Liverpool, especially if they wish to stay on top for a longer duration. Moreover, he is only 25 now and has plenty of football left in him. Also, with skipper Henderson turning 30 this month, he could prove to be a first-team player for them in the near future.