Pundit Reveals Which Player Liverpool 'Can't Afford To Lose'

Paul Robinson has urged Liverpool to keep Naby Keita this summer, amidst rumours that the club are looking to extend his contract.

Keita’s current deal is set to expire in the next 12 months along with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. 

However, the Reds are offering the Guinean international a new deal as they look to tie him down for the long-term.

Robinson believes this new deal should be a priority for the Merseyside club in this window.

“He had a lot of game time last season and he played well. I was really impressed by him,” the former England number one told Football Insider. 

“When you consider that (Sadio) Mane has gone and that (Mohamed) Salah and (Roberto) Firmino only have a year left it is important that you keep Keita. You don’t want too much upheaval in the squad.

“Keita played a lot better than people expected him to this year. I think he was excellent at times.

“It is very important that they keep him in my eyes. He has been much improved.

“You have to remember that they lost (Georginio) Wijnaldum last year and did not replace him. They can’t really afford to lose another.”

The former RB Leipzig man has endured a difficult time at Anfield since his £48 million move back in 2018, plagued by injuries. The 27-year-old has managed just 76 Premier League appearances across four seasons in the North West.

However, the 2021/22 campaign was an improvement on previous years for Keita, as he produced 40 appearances in all competitions, scoring four times.

His performances impressed, making it understandable that Liverpool would want to hang on to such a valuable asset. 

Given the potential size of the imminent and necessary rebuild in the midfield department for Jurgen Klopp, resigning a player in his prime who has started to produce makes sense. 

Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson and James Milner are all the wrong side of 30 and could be on the way out in the next year or so, while Oxlade-Chamberlain is also expected to not have his deal renewed. 

Adding to this cohort a trio of young and unproven players in Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliot and Fabio Carvalho, and all of a sudden the Reds look depleted in the middle of the park.