Liverpool fans were delighted to hear Mo Salah has put pen to paper on a new deal yesterday, but it would appear his teammate Naby Keita won’t be extending his contract.
The Guinea international, who Jurgen Klopp once called 'one of the best midfielders' he's ever seen, has struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premier League since his 2018 move from RB Leipzig
Since making the switch, the 27-year-old has failed to start more than 16 league games a season in a Liverpool shirt.
Advert
As such, according to Libero, Keita is looking for a way out. A potential swap deal could offer just that for the midfielder.
Keita could reportedly be involved in a deal which would see Adrien Rabiot join Liverpool this summer.
The Frenchman is looking for a way out at Juve after another underwhelming Serie A campaign for the Old Lady.
However, Rabiot and Keita are much different players.
Advert
Although he has failed to hit top form at Anfield, Keita is more of a creative offensively minded engine room player, whereas Rabiot tends to sit deeper.
Rabiot would likely come to Liverpool to compete with Thiago Alcantara to operate in the slightly more conservative left-central-midfield role.
Keita more often than not plays on the right of Klopp’s midfield three, so it would be by no means a like for like switch.
This is one which could make sense for Liverpool though. After all, there are a plethora of candidates to fulfil that role as Klopp’s right-sided central-midfielder.
Advert
Harvey Elliot, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Curtis Jones all prefer to play in that position.
On the opposite side, Thiago Alcantara and James Milner are the only two players truly accustomed to playing in the more withdrawn role.
Bringing in a player like Rabiot would add balance to Klopp’s midfield options, and free up more game time for his current players if Keita were to move the other way.
Advert
Topics: Naby Keita, Liverpool Transfer News & Rumours, Liverpool
Robert Worthington