Barcelona Leading The Race To Recruit This Liverpool Midfielder: What Will He Add To Xavi’s Side?

In a recent report, El Nacional mentioned that Barcelona are leading the race to recruit Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita next summer. It has been revealed that the Catalan giants are in pole position to acquire the services of the Guinea international who could be sold by the Reds at the end of this season.

Keita’s Campaign Of Mixed Emotions In English Football

Keita has experienced an up and down season at Liverpool as he has put in a few impressive displays despite being sidelined for a lot of games. The 26-year-old has found the back of the net on three occasions and grabbed one assist during this campaign across all fronts.

The Conakry-born sensation has struggled to be consistent based on his average of 2.5 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 1.4 shots, 0.6 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per game in the Premier League. However, he has been accurate when distributing the ball from midfield after making 85.8% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).

What Will Keita Add To Barcelona Boss Xavi’s Team?

Keita loves a tackle and can earn the ball back for his side at the centre of the park when he is playing well on the field. He can also make a few energetic runs with the ball from midfield and can engineer some decent chances for his teammates in the final third.

The Guinea international is a tidy passer of the ball as well but has struggled to be consistent with his productivity in the attacking end of the field.

On his day, Keita can be a world-class midfielder but those days have been few and far between for him so far in his Liverpool career. Hence, joining Barca could appeal to the player who is in dire need to earn regular first-team starts and stay injury-free for a significant period of time.

We can expect Keita to add a lot of energy and dynamism to Xavi‘s midfield department. At 26, the Reds midfield ace is entering his prime, so the Catalan outfit can rely on the Guinean playmaker to make an instant impact at the Nou Camp if they can find a way to get a deal over the line for him in the summer.