Why Naby Keita Is The Need Of The Hour For Liverpool And Not Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Jurgen Klopp has been a busy man after the end of the previous season as he looking for players who can improve the squad for the new season. The Reds started their pre-season with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers and a 1-1 draw with Wigan Athletic, they will now turn their attention to the transfer market.
They have been linked with some of the finest players this summer and two players who have been extensively linked with a move to Anfield are Borussia Dortmund star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and RB Leipzig star Naby Keita.
Reports suggest that Liverpool can land the Gabon international for around £65m, while they have recently had a £55m bid for Guinea international Naby Keita rejected by Leipzig. Liverpool are sure to break the bank for one of those signatures at least, so who should it be?
The Reds have spent on Mohamed Salah and Dominic Solanke this summer to improve their attack and have the likes of Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi, Danny Ings and then Dominic Solanke in their ranks to lead the attack. Aubameyang is definitely an improvement on these names but he is not a necessity for Liverpool at the moment.
The Reds have a weak defence and a lot of those problems are compounded by their failure to erect a strong midfield wall in front of the defence. Emre Can and Lucas Leiva are the only CDMs in Liverpool’s squad at the moment. Though Jordan Henderson did a good job last season, he cannot be relied upon as the only CDM in the squad for next season.
They need a hard tackling midfielder, who can also create chances against teams that sit back and defend. Keita perfectly fits the bill. He may not be a defensive midfielder but he is a hard working player, adept at sitting back to shut shop when needed. He can act as the deepest of the midfielders if needed and also as a central midfielder to add mettle to the midfield.
He is a genuine superstar in the making and has all it takes to be a hit in the Premier League. So it does not come as a surprise that Liverpool are ready to almost double their transfer record for the 22-year old. There is no doubt that Auba is a world-class striker but Liverpool had no problems in scoring goals last season. The problem was at the back and Naby Keita is going to solve exactly that. Liverpool need to get this deal done as quickly as possible and rather not pursue Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.