Timo Werner has claimed that new Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita will become world-class at Liverpool and also added that his own career will only get better if he secures a move like his teammate.
The German, who is part of the World Cup squad, had a decent season with RB Leipzig as he scored 21 goals in all competitions for the side that finished 6th in the Bundesliga.
Werner was linked with a move away from the Bundesliga side last season too and was quoted by Die Welt (h/t The Liverpool Echo) as saying:
“To become world-class you have to play in the big teams and then play big games like the final or semi-final of the Champions League.
“World class… I’m not yet a world class striker. For me (Robert) Lewandowski, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann are.”
The German then added that he needs to move to a better team, something that he believes that Keita will be able to achieve given that he is at Liverpool.
“To become a world class player, I probably have to play on a club level in an even better team. Naby Keita has not become world class with us either, maybe now he’ll be at Liverpool.
“I have four or five years left to learn, and then become world class.”
Keita will join us from July 1 after sealing a move worth a reported £52.75million from Leipzig. The Guinea star will be joined by Fabinho and hopefully, the pair will be able to dominate the opposition in the upcoming season.
Werner is one of the brightest stars in the Bundesliga at the moment and his comment suggests that he is ready for a move away from the German club. It will be interesting to see if he seals a switch at the start of the upcoming season.
The World Cup could be the perfect place to raise his stock value and his dream of becoming world class could come true in a few years should he make the right decisions.