Naby Keita admits he needs work to suit Premier League

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Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita has admitted he needs further hard work if he’s to adapt to the Premier League.

Keita pretty unanimously holds the position of Jurgen Klopp’s most disappointing signing so far. That sounds harsh on a player who has just turned 24 but the fact is that Klopp’s signings have virtually all been successes – certainly when a chunk of cash has been spent.

Keita, however, still hasn’t justified his fee. Some signings take time, of course, like Fabinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but Keita is taking especially long.

The Guinean arrived from RB Leipzig with an exciting reputation as a midfielder. Here was a player who could play box-to-box, who knew how to tackle, and who knew how to create. He’d even chip in with a few goals, making him the ideal all-round midfielder for Klopp’s system.

So far, though, Keita has zero goals and just the sole assist. He hasn’t shown an ability to run a midfield or, really, get stuck in. All in all, the Premier League looks to be too much for Keita.

And Keita admitted the need to step up in a recent interview with Liverpoolfc.com.

Keita on the Premier League

“It’s a lot faster here,” he said. “The style of play is a lot more aggressive and the intensity of the game is really high in relation to Germany. That’s fine, I’m now part of it – this is the league I’m playing in. I’m just going to keep working hard.

“The German league is decent as well, it’s one of the best. Nothing is easy in football, it’s just about the business of working hard. Every game you play you do your best.

“It’s true that when I was in Germany I performed well and played a lot but here I’ve come to a big club, here everyone is capable of doing great things. Now it’s down to me to work so I can perform even better in this league.”

It has seemed like a culture shock for Keita.

Klopp left him out against Manchester United in favour of a more physical midfield, but the team lacked forward momentum as a result.

Liverpool are starting to see the importance of Keita and he’s beginning to show his value. It’s taken some time, but hard work and patience may see him become the star everyone hoped for.