Liverpool paid over £52m for Naby Keita in 2018. The Anfield Road club paid a £48m release clause for the Guinean midfielder to RB Leipzig that summer, with nearly £5m thrown in by England as a Europa League qualification bonus.
Keita was supposed to be one of Jurgen Klopp’s midfield leaders, but turned out to be one of the biggest transfer duds of the German’s tenure at Liverpool. The Guinean, instead of shining on the pitch, spent much more time in doctors’ offices, where he fought with subsequent injuries.
In nearly five years at the club, Keita made a total of 129 appearances, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists. His stats look particularly bad this season. The Guinean played only 13 times, playing less than 500 minutes in total. Keita didn’t score, he didn’t have an assist.
Keita will leave Liverpool this summer
His future seems already sealed. The midfielder’s contract expires at the end of June this year and there is no indication that it will be extended. A well-known journalist – Fabrizio Romano – even reported that Liverpool have already made the final decision and will let Keita leave in the summer for free.
The Guinean’s departure will be part of the manpower revolution that awaits Liverpool in the summer transfer window. This is especially true of the midfield, which consists mainly of players who are either very experienced or prone to injury. It is possible that Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund will come to Anfield Road in the summer.
For now, it is not known where Keita could end up. His return to Germany is possible, where he played for RB Leipzig from 2016. Previously, the Guinean was a player for Red Bull Salzburg and French Istres.
