Liverpool have a lot of talented players, but most of those talented, high-potential players don’t play in the midfield. That’s where the issue is. The team is struggling a lot, and there are really only three midfielders in the whole squad that have actually been performing well for the club. Thiago has been decent, Naby Keita, although has seen a dip in form compared to last season, has still been better than the Hendersons and the Fabinhos, and Bajcetic has been a decent unearthing as well.
I’ve used the word decent quite a bit because there hasn’t really been any star performer in the midfield as of this season. But, out of all the few highlights the team has had, they are still open to letting one of them walk for free.
Naby Keita’s contract expires in June 2023. The club already has problems in midfield, but if Naby leaves, there will be even more problems, if enough players aren’t signed in the summer. According to reports, Keita is looking towards the exit door, and there has been no change in Liverpool’s stance.
Of course, Keita hasn’t been at his absolute best and is a very injury-prone player, but he is still better than many options the club currently has, and if they let him go, the club might suffer again next season.
Obviously, not as much, but if an injury crisis occurs, I think Liverpool are better off having Naby Keita as a back-up option than, say, James Milner or Jordan Henderson.
Although, saying that, it might be that Keita wants more minutes, and he knows he won’t get many next season. If that is the case, then I fully understand his decision of wanting to leave Liverpool, but if Liverpool’s decision to go away from him is something else, then there is an actual problem that needs some dealing with.
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Of course, none of this would matter if Liverpool sign enough players to get rid of the deadwood next summer. They need a bunch of players and if they truly invest in some, they might not need Naby Keita after all.