Liverpool look set to miss out on Naby Keita due to RB Leipzig’s stubborn stance over selling the dynamic Guinean midfielder.
The Reds were said to have submitted a £70million offer for Keita during the summer but Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have so far refused to budge on not letting him leave.
Jurgen Klopp is now set to turn his attention to other targets, despite Keita being his number one priority.
But is the 22-year-old worth the £70m fee Liverpool were willing to pay?
We took a look at Keita in action live during Leipzig’s 1-0 defeat against Sevilla in the Emirates Cup on Saturday.
What did he do well?
It was clear in the opening exchanges of the match that Keita’s positional awareness was a major strong suit.
Bridging the gap between defence and the more creative forces in this Leipzig outfit, he breaks up play well and is willing to do the dirty work, while also possessing quick feet and powerful drive to be able to launch a quick counter-attack.
Perhaps even more impressively, given his relatively young age, is his abundant leadership and communication skills on the field.
Keita was constantly yapping at team-mates in order to organise his troops properly – he looks like captain material in the making.
As well as his ability act as a commanding presence on the pitch, the midfielder’s discipline is also admirable.
He keeps his game largely simple but is also comfortable to receive the ball in tight spots – something Ralph Hasenhuttl has drilled into this Leipzig side – while he is naturally quick and strong allowing him to recover when danger looks on the horizon.
Going forwards, his dribbling is also splendid for a player operating in the position he occupies – he has all the ingredients to be a top-class performer in the Premier League.
What did he do badly?
Not a lot in fairness.
He mis-controlled the ball once one a rare venture towards the opposition’s penalty area and was caught in possession in the opening moments of the match but that aside it was an incredibly tidy performance.
Keith did pick up a booking for a hefty tackle on Walter Montoya in the second half – he’s certainly not afraid to go in hard on opponents.
His lack of height will mean he struggles to win many aerial duals but there’s not a lot he can really be criticised for from that perspective.
Is he worth £70m?
In this current market, it’s becoming more difficult than ever to truly assess the value of a player but it’s abundantly clear why Klopp wants him so badly.
For all Liverpool’s attacking flair, they lack a high quality anchor man to offer protection to their often leaky defence.
You only have to watch Keita for 20 minutes to see he’s a brilliant operator and one who genuinely has the potential to be world-class.
Whether any player is worth £70m is hugely debatable but Keita could prove invaluable to Liverpool should they snare him away from the Bundesliga.
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