Liverpool have been linked with a host of players since the departure of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona, with the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Thomas Lemar being linked with a move to Anfield. While nothing has come to fruition so far, it appears as if Jurgen Klopp has identified the player to replace Coutinho at Liverpool.
According to the Mirror, the Reds are interested in signing Monaco winger Keita Balde Diao. The 22-year-old only signed for the Ligue 1 champions from Lazio last summer in a deal worth €30m but has struggled to live up to the lofty expectations he had set last season.
Napoli have been negotiating a deal to sign the Senegal international this week but the report claims that Liverpool are ready to hijack the deal and lure the winger to Anfield.
Monaco sporting director Michael Emenalo’s strategy is to get players on the cheap and sell them at a high price. It now looks like Keita could be the one to make his way out of the club, with the French outfit keen on negotiating his sale to recover some funds they invested.
Klopp is looking for a player who is capable of filling in the big boots of Coutinho. Keita could be the man as the Senegalese boasts of pace, trickery, invention and a penchant for scoring goals. The winger was one of the shining lights for Lazio last season, where he scored 16 goals in 31 league appearances.
Although he has done well this campaign, scoring 5 times and assisting 9 times, it is no surprise to see him transfer listed by Emenalo as Monaco want to balance the books and make profits on the player’s sale.
If Keita has somewhat struggled in France, will he be able to adapt to the Premier League? Certainly not, as the Premier League is played at a completely different pace, which could see the 22-year-old struggle. Also, given the rich of attackers we have at our disposal, Keita would find it difficult to dispose of any of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino.
The Senegal international could be a fine back-up but at 22 years of age, the player won’t leave Monaco for Liverpool to become a fringe player. Despite Keita being a quality attacker, my opinion would be to not complete a panic-buy and wait until summer to get fresh players.
