Liverpool’s Naby Keita has been “one of the worst signings” made by Jurgen Klopp during his reign as manager, Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor told GIVEMESPORT.
Keita arrived in Merseyside five years ago but has failed to live up to the expectations placed on his shoulders.
Liverpool transfer news – Naby Keita
According to a report by 90min, Keita’s Liverpool career is as good as dead in the water, with a move away from the Premier League likely at the end of the season.
Keita, whose £120,000-per-week contract is set to expire in the summer, joined the Reds from RB Leipzig in 2018.
The midfielder became Liverpool’s all-time record transfer at the time, putting pen to paper on a deal that cost the Premier League giants a total of £52.75 million (Sky Sports).
It’s safe to say the lofty expectations he arrived with have not been lived up to, as Keita looks set to leave Anfield having failed to match his potential.
Tipped to go on and transform Liverpool’s midfield for years to come, Keita’s time under Klopp has been blighted by a string of injuries.
Since arriving back in 2018, Keita has gone on to miss over 80 matches through injury, underlining his unreliability to Liverpool boss Klopp.
What has Ryan Taylor said about Keita’s Liverpool career?
Unimpressed by Keita’s stint with the Reds, Daily Express journalist Taylor believes the injury-prone midfielder’s Liverpool career has been a failure.
On the Guinea international, Taylor told GIVEMESPORT: “He has to be one of the worst signings of the Klopp era.
“I think, the expectation when he arrived, after Liverpool waited a year for him after signing him in 2017, before eventually joining in the summer of 2018 just hasn’t been matched.
“He looked really good when he first got going, but he can’t seem to stay fit. He seems to be made of biscuit. He can’t play a single game without picking up an injury. It’s just mind-blowing.”
How will Keita be remembered by Liverpool fans?
Perhaps the best summarisation of Keita’s time with Liverpool was the midfielder’s wayward effort from range in the 2022 Champions League final against Real Madrid.
A shot that appeared to finish up closer to the corner flag than it did the net, captured perfectly by a viral video, Keita is unlikely to be remembered fondly by the Reds faithful when he departs the club.
With that being said, Keita was still part of Liverpool’s most successful period in decades, making up part of the squad that won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup among other major honours.
And at 28 years old, Keita still has time to resurrect his career, even if that is likely to happen away from Anfield.
