Liverpool’s £22.5M midfielder is open to a new deal at the club, but first, he wants guarantee’s that he will be an important player.
Naby Keita has been at Liverpool since 2018 but the general consensus from fans and pundits is that he’s never fully arrived on Merseyside due to his extensive list of injuries that have cropped up at a regular rate.
With his deal up next summer alongside James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – there’s certainly a lot of conversations to be had by Liverpool. Especially with all the links to signing midfielders this past summer.
Now the 27-year-old is reportedly looking at a new deal but he wants guarantees from the club that he will be an important player. Currently, he’s out until at least the end of October and continues to miss out.
🚨 NEW: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is not expected to make a return to action until the end of October, at the earliest. The same situation applies to Naby Keita. #lfc [liverpool echo]
— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) September 25, 2022
Keita wants guarantees from Liverpool
The latest reports seem to dictate that Keita wants guarantees from the club before he puts pen to paper. There is major uncertainty about his future and with his injury record being, as it is, there’s certainly a lot to discuss between the club and the player.
Talks continue between Keita’s camp and Liverpool about a contract extension, but the midfielder wants to understand how important he’ll be for Klopp before committing his future to the club.
“There is lots of interest in him.” Claimed Romano and “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,” Romano explained.
“Talks with Liverpool will continue, Keita wants to understand how important he’ll be for Klopp in the future before making his final decision.”
He’s not in Liverpool strongest midfield three and you could argue Harvey Elliott is now also ahead of him because of his work rate and reliability. Arthur Melo could also prove to be a more safe option which sees Keita rapidly falling down the list.
📈 Win Percentages of current #Liverpool midfielders since 18/19 (starts only):
🥇Naby Keita – 78.38%
🥈Jordan Henderson – 69.5%
🥉Thiago – 68.52%
🔴Fabinho – 65.77%
🔴Harvey Elliott – 65%
🔴C. Jones – 62.5%
🔴James Milner – 60.49% pic.twitter.com/yR5UcZ8ZPS— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) September 25, 2022
Liverpool have opened talks with Keita about a new contract and are increasingly hopeful of coming to an agreement. The Reds don’t want to lose the midfielder for anything and are keen to maintain his market value.
If they do choose to renew his deal, it’s unlikely they will keep both James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose deals both run out next summer. The outcome of Keita’s situation will play a big part in what business Liverpool do next summer.
We know the main target is Jude Bellingham, but it seems if he arrived in Merseyside he would surely be joined by at least another new midfielder. Rumours have teased Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, but the Reds will face competition from Chelsea.
Whether it’s Keita, Milner or Chamberlain, there’s certainly going to be some movement next summer. Regardless, there will certainly be fresh blood brought into the side whether Keita is here or not.
