Liverpool

Liverpool

Premier League • England

Liverpool star appears on three-man Barcelona shortlist as Xavi lays groundwork for Premier League blitz

Roberto Firmino and Naby Keita

Liverpool man Naby Keita is reportedly one of three Premier League players under consideration at Barcelona as Xavi looks to improve his midfield next year.

Keita signed for Liverpool in July 2018 after the Reds agreed to pay RB Leipzig his full £48million release clause. The player has gone on to feature 117 times in a Liverpool shirt, putting up 11 goals and seven assists.

Keita has obvious talent and Jurgen Klopp likes him a lot. However, the Guinea international usually struggles to stay fit.

For example, last season he was limited to just 23 Premier League appearances due to hamstring and knee injuries.

The year before, he featured just 10 times in the Prem as an ankle problem ruined his chances of selection.

Keita is once again giving Klopp a selection headache as he is out with another hamstring issue. He is not the only Liverpool midfielder receiving treatment, as Arthur Melo and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are also unavailable to Klopp.

Keita is well and truly in the final year of his Liverpool contract. Had he managed to play regularly in the past few seasons, his deal would have likely been extended.

As things stand, though, Liverpool are unsure what course of action to take regarding the 27-year-old. They have held several rounds of talks with Keita and his camp over a new deal, though these are yet to result in a conclusion.

As we get closer to January, there is increasing likelihood that Keita will be sold. This is to prevent Klopp’s side from losing him on a free transfer at the end of the campaign. Of course, Keita will have to be near full fitness if a team is going to spend money on him this winter.

Naby Keita on Barcelona radar

Spanish outlet Sport reveal their information on Barcelona’s transfer plans and mention Keita as being a target for Xavi.

The newspaper claims Barca are focusing on out-of-contract players to improve their squad next year. That comes after a summer of big spending in 2022.

Given Keita’s Liverpool terms are running down, this makes him an ideal target for the Blaugrana.

They are considering whether to send his representatives a contract offer in January. Under the Bosman ruling, Keita is able to negotiate with European clubs once he enters the final six months of his Liverpool deal.

Barca would rather wait and sign the 50-cap international on a free next summer than pay any money for him in January. As such, Liverpool might take a full £48m hit on the injury-prone star.

Sport reveal there are two other Prem midfielders that are being monitored by Barca recruitment staff. They are both in the same position as Keita as their contracts are running down.

Tielemans an alternative to Keita

The first is Leicester’s Youri Tielemans. He is thought to be on the radar of Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal.

Now though, there is the possibility of the Foxes man venturing to Spain and joining Xavi’s team.

Third on the list is Chelsea and France workhorse N’Golo Kante. He is an exceptional midfielder but unfortunately is having to deal with injury, like Keita, right now.

The best signing for Barca would probably be Tielemans. He is younger than the other two midfielders and is also more reliable when it comes to injuries.

He has played 50 games or more in each of the last two campaigns with Leicester.

Should Tielemans end up at Barca, then Keita will have one less option to choose from for his next club. He will be aiming to get back on the pitch sooner rather than later to impress Liverpool coaches and any potential suitors.

Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk admits a vital ingredient for success at Liverpool is ‘creeping away’, which will give Klopp yet another concern.