Naby KEITA: 2020/21

Liked the post except for this bit. No way we should end up in a position where Grujic is having to be used. We’ll have Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho and Milner for the deepest 2 sometimes even 3 roles in CM. There’s room for a real top class or even potential top class younger player there. But if we don’t have a good option Klopp will just rely on the others putting more strain on them and the bad option (Grujic) will just sit on the bench all season except for real emergencies.

If I were him I would accept a lower wage. Sure as hell won’t get a wage near what we will offer if he moves on.

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He will not move on. He will continue to collect his cheques while running down his contract, then move on to leech another club.

That’s what I’d do if I were him. Leave on a free, gets a big signing bonus due to that. He has to be sold ASAP if we want some of that money we paid for him back. Can’t let him get to the last year of his deal and he definitely won’t be signing a new deal imo

I think Keita is one of our highest earners, isn’t he? Around 130k?

Really can’t see a move happening. Makes absolutely no sense for him personally.

Not sure about the exact amount but Keita and AOC are two of our highest earners.

That’s not how it works. Either we will sell him and have to subsidise part of his earnings so he doesn’t miss out (so our wage bill doesn’t see a full saving immediately but it’s still positive short term and long term and gets a fee in) or he runs down his contract, probably signs a lesser deal elsewhere (unless his form really improves) and supplements those lower earnings with the signing on bonus.

For what it’s worth he won’t be getting all his wages here as he clearly won’t be hitting all his targets.

How much will Keita and AOC gobble-up over course of their contract period? 20 millions? 25 millions?

That’s like comparing diesel engines to nitromethane engines

Carroll was awful, Balotelli or Eto’o in the summer of 2014 was poor, too. Missing Sanchez is no shame, but Griezmann was available from Sociedad par example. Downing was terrible considering we cried out for a proper winger for such a long time. And then we get probably the offensive player with the least imagination I’ve ever seen. I don’t want to go on.

:joy:

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It’s just astonishing to me that Naby hasn’t played a single minute since the Real debacle, makes the bench for the original United match that ended up postponed… and then vanishes again with no explanation.

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The usual explanation for Keita is ‘minor muscle issue’. Which I think is a load of bollocks, by the way. There’s something else going on with him and I suspect it’s to do with him being ‘hooked’ against Madrid. Since then, his agent has been making noises in the press, which all points to him leaving in the summer. I won’t lose any sleep when he goes, a waste of money in my opinion.

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To be fair not one of those with a minor injury issue has even appeared on the bench since.

Glad Klopp didn’t beat about the bush with Jota, also makes me think Milner might still play something in this campaign.

Probably right with Keita.

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Groin strain that just won’t go away?

Unless there’s a NT game on the horizon.

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I think he is done here. Great shame because he’s not been quite as bad as some are making out. When he’s actually played of course, which isn’t often enough. JK clearly rates him otherwise he wouldn’t have picked him against Real but I tend to agree with @WooltonRed in that in the aftermath of that wretched performance things have probably broken down completely.

For me he’s in the same camp as Shaqiri and Ox. Players who don’t make enough of a contribution to justify keeping but because of their wages and unreliable availability are going to be difficult to move on.

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Such a shame this never worked out but his time here is up.
If he can stay fit and put a run together we might see what he is all about but I dont think the intensity of the English game is for him. If its true A Madrid want him then he should go to Spain.

I also think its a mentality thing. Whenever he has come back he has never put in a performance that makes you go wow that’s what we have been missing and youre more likely to say Keita is invisible again. Its like he knows he just cant perform in this league. He has shown glimpses but nowhere near enough to be kept.

Shame.

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Not the first player with enormous talent, brittle body, and feeble mind. Wont be the last. He will be do good in German or French league. Wish you all the best, Naby Lad. :pray:

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Liverpool Football Club - the place where injury-prone players go to earn a living. Seriously, is there any other club in this division that has had a larger ongoing injury list than us over recent years? I wish Naby all the best, but he’ll need to go to a less physically-demanding league to recue his career, which means abroad of course.

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Naby Keita has a hamstring injury. [@segadiallo]

Finished at this club

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