Naby Keïta: A Statistical Analysis
In my first profile of Naby Keïta, I looked at his personal qualities, attributes, and statistics, and then compared him to Gini Wijnaldum, the player who Keita would likely replace in the starting XI, should Liverpool persist with the staggered 4-3-3 system that was broadly successful during the 16-17 season.
In this piece, however, I'll be looking at Naby Keïta's statistics in comparison to the rest of Liverpool's midfielders, in respect to some other Premier League box-to-box, or key midfielders, as …
"It could be a formality" - Chris Williams on Naby Keita Deal
Liverpool have been given a significant boost in their pursuit of RB Leipzig’s superstar midfielder Naby Keita, with the East German side's resolve cracking according to Bundesliga journalist Chris Williams.
Liverpool had a €65 million bid rejected by Leipzig on Thursday, according to BILD. However, after continually affirming that the Guinean international wasn’t for sale, some Leipzig officials appear to be more accepting of the transfer now due to the exorbitant money Liverpool are willing to offer.
“Their stance seems …
Dominic Solanke: A versatile squad player from the off?
Mohamed Salah has already signed, and Virgil van Dijk and Naby Keita continue to dominate Liverpool-related transfer news, so Dominic Solanke's arrival on Merseyside has almost gone under the radar.
The 19-year-old has now officially joined from Chelsea, after a superb summer that saw him win the U20 World Cup with England and be named the tournament's best player.
A player full of potential who was never going to be given a chance at Stamford Bridge, Solanke could be a …
Scouting Naby Keita - The Unrivalled Midfielder
He’s the talk of the town.
Will he ask for a move? Will Liverpool pay the money? Will Leipzig bend to a certain fee? Everyone seems to have their opinion on the Guinean midfielder who lit up the Bundesliga last season, breaking out onto the world scene.
So, is he worth all the fuss?
In a word: yes.
Style
Firstly, the concept of Keita only having proved himself over one exceptional season is a fallacy. What last season’s performances at …
Why Liverpool Fans Do In Fact Need A Reality Check
I don’t write columns very often. A combination of being too busy with work and not really being arsed make this the first thing I’ve written in a year. I normally prefer to just spew my thoughts en masse onto my Twitter account and leave you to figure out what I’m trying to say. But you’ve driven me to this. The following is YOUR fault. You know who you are. If you don’t, maybe you relate to one of these.
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Will Keita Test Klopp’s Loyalty Towards Lallana?
It is no secret that Adam Lallana is one of Jurgen Klopp’s favourite players.
The Liverpool manager has spoken in glowing terms about his silky midfielder endless times since taking charge in October 2015, and Lallana’s game has improved immeasurably under his new boss.
For the first year or so of his Anfield career, the 29-year-old was a much-derided figure, as too many limp performances failed to justify the £25 million the club splashed out on him.
Almost as soon …
Liverpool's Two Ways To Build A Squad
Transfers in football often seem reasonably straightforward. Building a squad is easy - you just isolate areas in your squad where you need another player, either because you’re a player short or because your strongest player in that area is a weak link in the squad. Then... you buy a suitable player. But over the last few years, building a genuine squad has proved problematic for Liverpool. Partly because they’ve bought poorly, partly because there was a lot of deadwood …
How Liverpool's Midfield Could Look Next Season
Naby Keita has been linked with a move to Liverpool for some time now. Plying his trade in the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig, he was one of the standout performers during the 2016/17 season which rightfully saw him named in the team of the season.
Naturally, that’s seen him attract the interest of clubs across Europe and Liverpool are ready to smash their club transfer record for the second time in a £70million deal this summer.
Should such a move …
With Klopp Keita Crazy, What Can Gini Wish For?
With the Liverpool fan base going crazy over Paul Joyce's 00:08 truth bombs and continued links to the marvellous Naby Keita, one must feel for Georginio Wijnaldum.
Although he's currently enjoying a well earned break from football and seemingly posing for a series of well crafted Grand Theft Auto covers, the Dutchman would be forgiven for considering his place in the Liverpool squad amid all the Keita links.
Why Gini?
If Liverpool are, as many believe, going to prize Leipzig's …
Discussing Liverpool's Alternative Options To Naby Keita
Having hit the Bundesliga by storm during the 2016/17 season, Naby Keita has attracted rife interest from across the globe. Jurgen Klopp has identified the midfielder as one of his priority targets this summer, but with RB Leipzig set to dig their heels in and rebuff any approach for their star man, Liverpool may need to look elsewhere.
I asked some of the Anfield Index writers who they would like to see at Anfield should a move for Keita fail …