Barcelona step up their interest in 28-year-old Liverpool star

Barcelona step up their interest to sign Naby Keita for free in the summer

According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Liverpool Echo), La Liga leaders Barcelona to step up their interest to sign Naby Keita on a free transfer in the coming summer.

Keita is out of contract at Liverpool at the end of this season, and it is more or less confirmed that he will Anfield for free.

Out of all the good signings made by Liverpool in the last five years, Keita has turned out to be a disappointment for them. The combination of his unavailability due to injuries and inconsistent showing has been simply unacceptable.

If the 28-year-old has played his last Liverpool game against Crystal Palace last week, it was symptomatic of his career because of the performance and getting subbed off at half-time.

Injuries happen to every player, some have it more than others. But, there are ways to overcome it. We have seen professional athletes trying out different diets, different trainers and more to get over the similar issues they suffer while playing.

It doesn’t seem like Keita has done any of that during his time at Liverpool. He has picked up similar muscle injuries a lot of times, which cannot just be a coincidence.

So, while he is a good player on his day, it is probably right that the club did not offer him a new deal. They would take a financial hit letting him go for free, but that is good for all parties right now.

We need to invest heavily in the midfield department in the summer. Let’s hope we finish fourth in the league so that the Champions League money can help in going hard in the coming transfer window.

More Liverpool News:

• Liverpool show interest in Djordje Petrovic
• Roberto Firmino set to leave Liverpool for free at the end of the season
• Liverpool ‘increasingly confident’ of signing Chelsea star Mason Mount

Keita is a player who has divided opinions among the fanbase. On his day, he was mercurial – a smart dribbler capable of making magic happen in the final third. If he remains fit and keeps up his fitness levels, Barcelona could have a steal on their hands.