Naby Keita Liverpool Move Could be the Catalyst in Reds Title Charge

Naby Keita is the man Liverpool need / Image via goal.com

Keita Nearing RB Leipzig Departure

The progress Bundesliga hot-shots RB Leipzig made during their first-ever season in Germany’s top tier went hand in hand with the progress of Naby Keita, the talented 22-year-old Guinea midfielder.

Keita was instrumental in RB Leipzig haul to the second-place finish in the Bundesliga with his impressive displays for the Red Bulls, as the player himself  drew plenty of interest from Europe’s top clubs and most intensely from Liverpool.

The industrious midfielder is said to be eager to leave the Bundesliga club during the summer transfer window. Keita rejected a contract offer from his club at the end of the 2016-17 campaign but Liverpool will have to go the extra lime if they want to land the Guinea international.

Is Naby Keita Worth €80 Million?

RB Leipzig sit rather firmly on their demands and valuation of the 22-year-old Guinean international.

The Bundesliga high-flying side are said to be requesting €80 million for their star player, which definitely will raise a couple of eyebrows. The global football transfer market has gone through major changes over the past couple of years with prices skyrocketing and records being broken year in and year out.

Market demands dictate the prices which are in some case so overinflated that it is ridiculous to even consider them. And with €80 million price tag being slapped on Naby Keita’s back, one cannot but ask themselves is the diminutive midfielder worth all the hype.

Never a stranger to transfer records, Keita became the most expensive sale for French side Istres at the time he joined RB Salzburg for a €1.5 million fee. He subsequently became the most expensive signing of RB Leipzig last season when German Red Bulls splashed €15 million to get him from their Austrian franchise.

Another record looks set to broken with Liverpool mulling a possibility to break the bank for the second time this summer and exceed the club record transfer fee achieved not long ago with the €42 million forked out for Mo Salah’s signature.

Keita Would Be A Pefect Fit for Klopp’s Side

German tactician Jurgen Klopp knows exactly what it is he would be getting with Naby Keita.

Those of you who might have watched him in action would know this diminutive midfielder in capable of filling in a number of positions in the centre of the park, while also apt of fulfilling different tactical roles and responsibilities.

Much to the comparisons with Chelsea’s midfield dynamo N’Golo Kante, RB Leipzig star is a tireless worker in the midfield. Naby Keita uses his low centre of gravity to dig himself into the ground and exploit his anticipation to cut rival attacks and win the ball back for his side. He presses hard and is good at snatching possession from opposition which makes him a valuable support to any backline.

What’s most impressive about the 22-year-old midfielder is his ability to break out forward with remarkable ease. Placed in one of two deeper midfield roles over at Leipzig, Naby Keita would often use his fast pace and running of the ball to beat opposition and cut through the lines to either create goal scoring opportunities for his teammates and himself.

Eight goals and seven assists helped RB Leipzig assert their top-two status in their first-ever season in the top flight, whereas these numbers also do justice to Keita and his top-class quality and potential.

Liverpool Need a Player Like Naby

Jurgen Klopp boasts plenty of midfield options as the Reds currently have a number of midfielders who can operate in various roles in the centre of the pitch.

The Anfield-based club are marking their return to the Champions League next season and it is quite understandable that Jurgen Klopp wants to throw numbers in his central line as midfield is a focal point of his style of play.

Jurgen Klopp favours a fluent style and tactical flexibility, the two boxes Naby Keita ticks with his qualities. An all-round midfielder who can be a great support to both defence and attack, but also a playmaker who can create chances to his teammates, Naby Keita would fit Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool like a glove.

Inside his bags of quality Naby Keita brings plenty of versatility and it is fair to say that his potential arrival to Liverpool could prove to be a catalyst for the long-suffering English giants.

Keita’s potential arrival would definitely affect 9/1 betting odds currently offered on Reds winning the Premier League at the end of the 2017/18 season.