Jurgen Klopp is hopeful that Naby Keita has put his injury troubles behind him in preparation for a bright future at Liverpool.
Speaking to the press via Liverpool FC on YouTube ahead of the Merseyside Derby on Sunday, Klopp insisted that injuries aside, Keita has been good for The Reds.
“(When) Naby was fit and Naby could get some rhythm, he was always really good,” said Klopp. “Unfortunately he could not get as much rhythm as he wished, as we wished in the past, maybe that’s over now.”
The manager said that Liverpool made a smart decision to bring both he and Thiago Alcantara to the club.
“The future’s bright for him (Keita), he’s a great player, wow! The year before, (Keita arrived) Keita and Thiago were the best midfielders in the Bundesliga by a distance. We took first Naby and a bit later Thiago, so it was obviously a good idea,” said Klopp.
With Keita’s contract running into its last year, that’s a hugely promising statement for the manager to make. It will give hope that a possible renewal is around the corner for Naby.
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Keita looking for more time to make his mark
Keita’s time at Liverpool has been incredibly successful for the club as a whole. Champions League and Premier League titles have been secured, along with the FIFA Club World Cup, the Super Cup and the Carabao Cup.
However, throughout almost all of those successes, especially the two really big ones, Keita has been a fringe player.
The 27-year-old has had his moments in a Liverpool shirt, that’s for sure. But he lost his place in the team long before the Champions League was secured in 2019. Injury then prevented him from even making the 12-man bench in the final.
As for the following season, Keita started just nine games on the way to Liverpool winning the league.
This year he has been slightly more involved. The Guinean has still only began 10 league matches for The Reds though, with just six games left to play.
Keita cost Liverpool almost £50m in 2017, arriving a year later. With so many disruptions, his career on Merseyside has always left fans waiting for it to catch fire.
If Klopp’s positive words do transpire into a new contract, it will give Naby more time to make good on that. He has played well in recent weeks and as Liverpool hunt more trophies, he could yet play a big part in that.