According to reports, Liverpool are all set to break their transfer record to land their top summer target Naby Keita. German manager Jurgen Klopp aims to beef up his squad for the next season as the Reds managed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign.
Despite a decent season for Liverpool, which saw Jurgen Klopp’s men play brilliantly against the top six sides in the league table, the Reds needed help from a rare Arsenal slip-up to qualify for the elite European tournament. And with the momentum going for them after a few years, the German gaffer will not want to let it go anytime soon.
Liverpool have been hugely criticised for an under-average bench, which couldn’t potentially replace the first team stars as and when needed. Jordan Henderson’s season-ending injury in the midseason perfectly summed that up for the Reds. With James Milner shifting to the left backs role after the terrible failure of Alberto Moreno, Klopp was left with the likes of Emre Can, Georginio Wijnaldum, Adam Lallana and Lucas Leiva for the last crucial weeks at the centre of the park.
And except Lallana, the others have been maddeningly inconsistent. Liverpool cannot go far with this squad in the Champions League and with four competitions to play for next season, they are bound to struggle.
But Keita will definitely be a level up for the Reds at all costs. The 22-year-old Guinean international has been unstoppable in the Bundesliga this season from RB Leipzig’s midfield. He has scored eight goals and assisted the same this season in all competitions, and has more essentially been the beating heart emerging sides.
Quite like AS Monaco, Leipzig has had a stormy season, where almost every player has caught the eye and are hot transfer prospects. And with Champions League being a huge challenge for them next season, retaining the stars will be their prime objective, which can be easily made out by Leipzig’s labelling of Keita at a staggering £50 million.
For a player who has been good for just one season, and is a largely unproven prospect otherwise, the amount is a lump sum. And Liverpool could be taking yet another huge risk in going after him, similar to the time they did in bringing Andy Carroll for a stupendous £38 million. The towering English striker, who was once touted as England’s next big thing, is rotting in West Ham United now, injured.
And even if Liverpool manage to match Leipzig’s label, the player’s agreement matters the most. Liverpool have largely finished out of the top four in the last decade, failing to win any major silverware. The Merseyside club does not retain the lure it once had, and Leipzig seems to be on a much thrilling adventure making this deal a major doubt this summer.
