Background: Naby Keita
In August 2017, Liverpool F.C agreed to the transfer of Naby Keita from RB Leipzig. At the time, RB Leipzig had just qualified for the Champions League after finishing in 2nd place in the Bundesliga. Naby Keita had scored 8 goals in 31 league appearances and contributed 6 assists.
Naby Keita first got his break in French football playing in Ligue 2 for Nimes Olympique, scoring 11 goals in 23 games. His performances earned him a move to RB Salzburg where in his second season he was named Austrian Bundesliga Player of the Year. Then, as typical with the Red Bull franchise, he moved to the premier club RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga.
He has a reputation as a box-to-box midfielder but what will he bring to Jurgen Klopps Liverpool?
The game that represented Naby Keita
If there ever was a game that represented Naby Keitas strengths it was the RB Leipzig last-16 Europa League tie vs Zenit St Petersburg. In this game, he showcased his strengths which will enable him to flourish at Liverpool.
This game signalled that he wasnt just a combative midfielder. Naby Keita also provided an attacking edge, he provided 1 assist, created 3 chances and undertook 5 dribbles to dominate the midfield. His passing accuracy was 93%, which will be crucial to Jurgen Klopp controlling games in the Premier League. Furthermore, Naby Keita made 5 tackles which will fit perfect into Jurgen Klopps pressing style.
