Naby Keita has joined the German club Werder Bremen as a free agent after his contract at Liverpool expired.
Werder Bremen have announced the signing of Naby Keita who has joined the club as a free agent. The 28-year-old midfielder’s contract at Liverpool has expired and he has joined the German club in the next stage of his career.
SVW can confirm the signing of Naby Keïta from Liverpool FC on a free transfer ✍️#werder pic.twitter.com/BGqD8u6XAP
— SV Werder Bremen EN (@werderbremen_en) June 9, 2023
Keita made quite a name for himself while playing for RB Leipzig. He impressed one and all with consistent performances and Liverpool acquired his services in the summer of 2018.
The Guinean international slowly became an integral part of their first team and played an important role in Jurgen Klopp’s team’s success over the years. He featured in 129 matches for the Reds and was involved in 18 goals.
However, his performances dipped and he struggled with injury throughout the 2022-23 season. He eventually lost his place in the German bosses’ setup. The 28-year-old made only 13 appearances all season long for the Merseyside club and was on the pitch for under 500 minutes.
With his contract running out in the summer and the Guinean international hardly featuring for their first team, it was clear that Liverpool won’t attempt to extend the deal. They informed the player about the decision and even he saw it coming.
The decision of parting ways with Naby Keita along with James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was made public a few weeks back. And, post that the 28-year-old was on the look for a new club.
The fact that he has been struggling with injuries and hasn’t put in good enough performances for a while now suggested that he might not make it to a big enough club. But, with him being available for free, there were still quite a few clubs after his signatures.
Werder Bremen were the fastest to act and their manager Ole Werner managed to convince the 28-year-old about the project at hand. While it has come as a surprise move by the German club, they have surely acquired a player who can help their cause.
Bremen managed to finish 13th after being promoted to the first tier ahead of the season. And, this signing might just be a signal that they want to push further up the table. The 28-year-old is a quality midfielder who will bring in a lot of experience and he can surely lead by example.
Bremen manager Werner on Keita’s arrival: “Naby is a technically gifted and hard-running midfielder, who will provide us with lots more flexibility. He is dangerous in front of goal and can also provide assists too. He will be an important figure in the centre of the pitch for our squad. He played in a Champions League final last year and has so much experience on the international stage, which our team will only benefit from. I’m really looking forward to working with him.”