Liverpool mega bucks signing sets first-team target after recent upsurge

Naby Keita TEAMtalk

Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita has his sights set on becoming a regular in Jurgen Klopp’s plans, after the Guinea international revealed he is just now starting to get over his plethora of injuries,

Keita joined the Reds in the summer window of 2018 after the club had agreed to pay a premium on his transfer fee one year prior – so steadfast they were in their desire to snap up the 24-year-old before Europe’s elite came calling.

With former club RB Leipzig’s qualification to the Europa league in 2017-18, the final sum Liverpool paid amounted to £52.75m – the third highest fee ever paid by the Merseyside club.

An injury-plagued debut season disrupted Keita’s ability to fully bed in under Klopp, but after a string of impressive recent performances including starring in the 4-1 victory over Genk, Keita believes the time is now for him to establish himself in Liverpool’s engine room.

“Of course I’m pleased with my form, but I’d like to do better,” Keita told Liverpool’s official website.

“Yes, I agree it’s a good moment for me now to try to avoid picking up any injuries, and to therefore get plenty of playing time.

“I feel that moving on from the recent injury that if I can get to play in a lot of matches, I can really try to help the team where I can.”

 

 

Not content to rest on his laurels after the recent praise he has received, Keita was bullish when quizzed on whether his Genk performance was him at his best.

“I would say not, it wasn’t – because I would like to do better than that,” said the combative midfielder.

“It was a match we set out to win. I played [well] enough to please everyone, but I’d like to do better than that in the next matches as well.”

Meanwhile, a Serie A heavyweight are set to relaunch their interest in a divisive Liverpool figure ahead of a proposed January switch.