Liverpool interested in perfect Naby Keita replacement

Liverpool are interested in the perfect Naby Keita replacement, according to reports coming out of Germany.

Goal.com senior producer and football reporter Ronan Murphy, who also has his ear to the ground over in Germany, has broadcast reports from Kicker linking the Reds with a summer move for a potential Keita replacement.

While Jurgen Klopp has plenty of choices when it comes to picking his midfield three, a few of the current squad members aren’t performing well. The summer of 2021 could see plenty of change around Kirkby, with several players linked with moves away.

Liverpool could wave goodbye to Naby Keita

Elite stars like Mohamed Salah could be tempted away by huge offers from other European clubs, while fringe players like Marko Grujic and Harry Wilson will probably move if Michael Edwards can get the right offer.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita could be under threat, too. The pair haven’t been at their best this season, with neither grabbing their opportunities when they’ve been presented to them.

After three seasons, Keita hasn’t reproduced the form that convinced Liverpool to spend over £50 million; Oxlade-Chamberlain has rarely strung together elite form following his move from Arsenal.

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Florian Neuhaus could be the next Liverpool golden boy

This makes the reported interest in Borussia Mönchengladbach star Florian Neuhaus really interesting. He could be seen as the perfect replacement for Keita if a move can be done in the summer.

According to Smarter Scout, Keita and Neuhaus have a fairly similar statistical profile. This season, Neuhaus has been better at dribbling and passing towards goal than the Guinea international and has a superior ability to win non-headers in open play.

We can see that the things Keita is supposed to be good at (getting forward and creating chances) aren’t as good as Neuhaus’s output this season.

One area where Keita is still superior is his ability to disrupt and recover play and linking up with his team. Neuhaus has come clear improvement to do here – although, interestingly, Neuhaus and Keita (2017-2018) have basically the same score for link-up play in the Bundesliga.

During Keita’s last season with Leipzig, he was also worse at shooting and around the same level as Neuhaus for receiving the ball into the box.

When Fabinho and Jordan Henderson are restored to the midfield, Neuhaus’s defensive deficiencies will be less important and he’ll be allowed to attack.

This will make him the perfect replacement for Keita.