Liverpool's Naby Keita
Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita is ‘expected to leave’ the club in the summer transfer window, according to The Athletic journalist Andy Jones.
The Lowdown: Keita awful at Palace
The 28-year-old was handed a start away to Crystal Palace last weekend, as he looked to show Jurgen Klopp that he is worth persevering with beyond this summer.
Instead, Keita produced an awful first-half showing, losing the ball seven times, losing ten out of 12 total duels, picking up a yellow card and committing four fouls (Sofascore).
It led to Klopp substituting the Guinean at half-time, presumably because a sending-off seemed so likely, in what was the latest disappointing showing from him.
The Latest: Summer exit expected
Taking to Twitter, The Athletic‘s Jones focused on Keita’s woeful display at Selhurst Park, adding that he is likely to move on at the end of the season:
“Not for the first time, a night & performance to forget for Naby Keita. Klopp had no option but to take the midfielder off at HT.
“Unlikely to be his last #LFC performance, but expected to leave in the summer, it’s tough to see how he starts many more.”
The Verdict: More disappointment
There is no denying that Keita has ultimately underwhelmed in a Liverpool shirt, having arrived with such great expectations back in the summer of 2018.
A constant stream of injuries have clearly played a big role in the midfielder’s struggles, affording him only 129 appearances in nearly five seasons, but his overall performances have also lacked consistency and influence.
That’s not to say that Keita hasn’t contributed to Liverpool’s great success in recent years, winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup, among other trophies, but he should indeed go when his contract expires this summer.
Virgil van Dijk once hailed his teammate as a ‘world-class’ player but he hasn’t performed like that for some time now and he has been a rare flop in the Klopp era.
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