After a disastrous debut campaign in England, Liverpool are ready to offload Naby Keita in the summer, with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich interested.
Liverpool are planning life without Naby Keita next season as they look to offload the Guinean international in the summer, as reported by The Sun. Keita has struggled in his debut campaign in the Premier League after arriving at Anfield for a fee of £52 million last summer.
The former RB Leipzig midfielder is yet to score a single goal for his new club and a move away from Anfield is likely, with Liverpool prepared to settle for a £10 million loss in the summer.
It is believed that Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich are keen to bring him back to Germany. They have even started talks with the player’s representatives about his potential return to the German top flight next season.
The departure of Keita could be good transfer decision by Liverpool as the 24-year-old has struggled to make an impact in the first-team under Jurgen Klopp. The midfielder has often appeared to be ineffective in half-spaces and his overall creativity hasn’t been top notch.
As a result, Keita has fallen down the pecking order in Liverpool’s midfield unit this season, with Klopp often opting for the likes of summer signing Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum ahead of the Guinean international.
Therefore, Keita’s sale makes a lot of sense from a sporting perspective but it would also allow Liverpool to fund moves for their transfer targets as they look to complete their squad in the summer. Diego Llorente, for one, has been eyed as a potential target.
As for Keita himself, a move away from Anfield could be beneficial for him as well, as he looks to revive his career next season. He will be also be keen to find regular game time, having featured in just over 1,000 minutes of league football this season, which is totally unacceptable for a player of his calibre.
However, he certainly needs to be wise in choosing his desired destination, knowing that a move to yet another top European club could seriously hamper his playing time. To that end, Bayern Munich may not be a logical destination and that’s where Borussia Dortmund could come in.
The Black and Yellows have struggled with injuries and form during the second half of their Bundesliga campaign and are in desperate need for reinforcements in the midfield department. Keita, in that regard, will provide Lucien Favre with more creative options in the middle of the park, though it remains to be seen whether or not the club’s hierarchy agrees to pay over £35 million for the midfielder.
For now, it looks like a possibility that Naby Keita could end up leaving Liverpool after just one season, and it will be interesting to see if he returns to Germany, where he has previously enjoyed a strong stint with RB Leipzig.
