Liverpool star Naby Keita garnering interest from other clubs amid contract talks
Fabrizio Romano wrote in his CaughtOffside column [subscription required] (h/t Liverpool Echo) about Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita and a ‘lot of interest’ for the Guinean. According to the Italian transfer guru, talks over a new contract are in place between Liverpool and Naby’s representatives.
Keita has not featured for the Reds so far this season, and as per the club’s official website, he will only be back “sometime in October”. His time at Merseyside has been tough to deal with given his injury record and inconsistent conduct on the pitch.
With his current contract expiring next summer, Liverpool are bearing the risk of losing the 27-year-old for free in the 2023 Summer Transfer Window. Moreover, without an agreement with the parent club, Keita will be eligible to hold pre-contract agreements with other European clubs from January 1.
Romano wrote in his CaughtOffside column that there is ‘lots of interest’ for Keita but still no official bids.
“There are ongoing contacts between Naby Keita’s camp and Liverpool to decide about the future. There’s been a lot of interest around him for a long time but no official bids. Talks with Liverpool will continue, Keita wants to understand how important he’ll be for Klopp in the future before making his final decision.”
Keita’s Future at the club
Although there have been doubts over Keita’s future with the club, a contract extension will ensure that his market value shall remain intact. Liverpool could then recoup what they paid to RB Leipzig for his services.
A still very capable player if he manages to stay injury-free, Keita can still prove to be a good performer. That is one more reason why there has been this claimed “interest” from other clubs. Hence, it is important for both parties to come to a conclusion about the midfielder’s role in the team beyond this season.
Liverpool will be looking to strengthen their midfield next season as an ageing midfield in Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and James Milner cannot continue beyond a season or two for the Reds to compete for all four trophies.
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Florian Plettenberg had earlier reported that the player is ‘unhappy’ at the club. If that is still the situation, there is no point in employing a player who is not happy at the club for the better of both Keita and the club.
