Much has been made of Naby Keïta’s streak of indiscipline after the midfielder received three red cards in the space of seven games for club and country – a period spanning just 39 days. Some have suggested Liverpool fans, who will welcome the Guinean midfielder to Anfield at the end of the current season, should be concerned by the 22-year-old’s perceived over-aggressiveness and inability to keep himself on the pitch for 90 minutes.
But Keita’s run of red cards is likely nothing more than an anomaly, with all three – one for a Sadio Mané-esque high boot against Borussia Mönchengladbach, another for a swipe of the arm on international duty and the last for two yellows against Bayern Munich in the DFB Pokal – completely different infringements, unrelated and unlikely to be replicated in such quick succession again.
Liverpool supporters are right to look forward to Keïta’s arrival on Merseyside, their anticipation not dampened by the flurry of dismissals. The RB Leipzig star, for whom the Reds have agreed to pay a premium on top of a £47m release clause in order to beat other interested parties to the Bundesliga standout for the 2018/19 campaign onwards, has all the attributes to transform the Reds into something altogether more cohesive, robust and threatening.
Keïta starred in the Red Bull-owned club’s remarkable run to a second-place finish in their first ever Bundesliga campaign last season, having moved across from the Salzburg arm of the energy drink manufacturer’s football network for around £11.75m upon the East German side’s promotion to the top flight.
As one of the two deep central midfielders in Ralph Hasenhüttl’s 4-2-2-2 system, the former FC Istres man, who grew up idolising Porto and Barcelona legend Deco, was at the heart of RBL’s unanticipated rise up the table. As the box-to-box dynamo of Leipzig’s organised and intense unit, he was the man tasked with pressing in co-ordination with his team-mates, breaking up opposition attacks and aiding quick transitions by springing offensive moves from deep – all tasks that he will be required to replicate under Klopp.
In the Bundesliga last season, Keïta averaged 3.1 interceptions per 90 minutes, a figure no Liverpool player could match in the Premier League – Lucas Leiva was closest with 2.9 – and one he has maintained so far this term. He also made three tackles per 90 last term – again, a return no Liverpool with more than 85 minutes of action to their name could better – while he has taken that average to a staggering 4.1 per 90 in 2017/18.
Above, we see Keïta’s sharp pressing instincts. He identifies the Stuttgart player in space on the edge of the midfield zone and, knowing there is no immediate threat behind him, recognises he can safely move to close the player down – a split-second calculation made before the move has even begun.
Lightning quick over short distances, he instantly puts pressure on the opponent as he receives the ball, making a clean challenge and recovering possession in an area of the pitch from which Leipzig can quickly transition into attack – a hallmark of Klopp’s counter-pressing sides.
Having won the ball, Keïta finds striker Yussuf Poulsen on the edge of the Stuttgart penalty area and moves forward to support the attack.
A more proficient ball-winner than both Jordan Henderson and Emre Can, the two Liverpool players with the deepest midfield remit, Keïta will aid the Reds in their work without the ball and offer additional defensive support.
However, he is certainly not a defensive midfielder; Keïta is far too effective an offensive force to be termed as such, and he could have an even greater impact on Liverpool’s attacking play. The Merseysiders lack a midfield player with top-class ball-progression ability: Georginio Wijnaldum is athletic and intelligently times runs into the box but isn’t involved enough in deeper zones; Henderson has a decent range of passing but lacks athleticism and can be risk-averse; while Can carries out most tasks well without being dynamic.
Keïta offers everything the Liverpool midfield currently does well, but with the added x-factor of being truly dynamic and instinctively creative. He is strong and an excellent dribbler, which makes him press resistant and able to drift away from opponents in a way most midfielders cannot.
He also has an incredible knack of playing defence-splitting passes while in full flight, catching opposing backlines on the hop. All of this will help the Reds become quicker and more efficient in transition, and able to get the ball to the likes of Mané, Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah in areas where they are most dangerous.
Here, in Leipzig’s recent 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund, we see Keïta’s magnificent dribbling and passing ability in full effect, the Guinean single-handedly carrying his team 70 yards up the pitch to threaten the opposition’s goal. He receives the ball deep inside his own half and immediate looks to power forward, dribbling away from the BVB man who comes to close him down.
He then utilises his pace to drive through midfield, all the while showing excellent close control to protect possession.
As he approaches the final third, he spots the run of Jean-Kévin Augustin and releases the French striker with a well-weighted through ball, played while still in full stride.
Keïta’s attacking contribution last season yielded eight goals and seven assists in 31 Bundesliga appearances. This term, he only has one goal and one assists from seven outings, with his offensive duties reduced following the arrivals of Augustin and speedy Portuguese winger Bruma.
But he remains key to the way Leipzig break down their opposition, increasing the amount of accurate short passes he is making per 90 minutes (43.2, up from 41.5) and the amount of key passes per 90 (from 1.5 to 1.6), as well as making more successful dribbles (from 3.1 to four) and taking more long shots (1.5 up from 0.7) per 90.
In terms of weaknesses, he can occasionally get caught ahead of the ball, and, as has been the case recently, his aggression can slightly overspill. But Keïta is a phenomenal talent whose impact at Liverpool will be wide-ranging; the kind of all-round midfielder not seen at Anfield since (whisper it) Steven Gerrard.
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