Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita is a target for Paris Saint-Germain and could follow Sadio Mane out the Anfield exit door, according to a report from Guinean outlet Imedias.net.
The lowdown: High expectations
Signed for a then club-record £48million from RB Leipzig in 2017 (BBC), Keita arrived on Merseyside 12 months later with a weight of expectation to impress from the outset.
Despite showing fleeting glimpses of his first-class ability, the Guinean struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League and picked up regular injuries throughout his first three seasons at Anfield.
However, having made 40 appearances across all competitions in 2021/22, Keita had appeared to turn a corner in terms of fitness and availability.
The latest: PSG keen
As per Imedias.net, an outlet in the player’s homeland, French Ligue 1 winners PSG are ‘ready to welcome’ Keita to their ranks this summer with an offer in the region of €50million (£42.5million) expected.
It’s claimed that ‘sources’ have informed the outlet that the Parisien club ‘respectfully follows his situation’ and have placed the 48-cap Guinea captain on the ‘short list’ as incoming Sporting Director Luis Campos weighs up possible targets.
Ironically, the report goes on to say that the man hailed as ‘outstanding by Jurgen Klopp and ‘one of the best midfielders’ he’s ever seen could be lined up as a successor to former Anfield favourite Gini Wijnaldum.
The player shares an agent with Mane, so perhaps the Reds are not on the best of terms with the duo’s representatives.
The verdict: Tough call
Deciding what should happen with Keita is a difficult judgement to make for the Reds and in particular Klopp.
Starting on 25 occasions out of those aforementioned 40 outings, the dynamic maestro is clearly a preferred option of the German boss, but there can be no guarantees that the injury issues that plagued the 27-year-old’s early career at Liverpool won’t return in the future.
With the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain already reportedly on the way out, at the mooted price, there will undoubtedly be a temptation to cash in on Keita and spend the combined funds on a more reliable midfield option to bolster the options at Klopp’s disposal.
In other news, Fabrizio Romano has dropped a key Liverpool transfer update. Read more here.
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