Fantasy Football Potential – Naby Keita

Liverpool have finally signed Naby Keita from German outfit RB Leipzig for a fee that could reach £53 million. The Guinean international agreed the transfer last summer but it could only be completed this summer due to Liverpool meeting his release clause.

Keita scored 9 and set up 7 goals for Leipzig in 39 appearances in all competitions, including a short stint in the Champions League. He will slot in nicely in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield and may be what the Merseyside club needs to really push for the title this season.

Keita told the club’s official website:

“I am really looking forward to working with Klopp, but a lot of it depends on me and whether I have the courage to take my chance and then how I perform on the pitch if I get that chance.”

Fantasy Premier League Potential (7.5m)

Keita has been generously priced at £7.5m which makes him considerably cheaper than both Mo Salah and Sadio Mane. He obviously won’t be playing as advanced as those two but he could still chip in with a healthy amount of goals and assists.

A slight concern may be his disciplinary record. In 27 Bundesliga appearances he picked up 7 yellows and 2 red cards, but he has proved he can play out of his skin in some games. He scored one and set up another in Leipzig’s 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich, collecting the man of the match award in the process.

Liverpool’s first five fixtures are as follows; West Ham (H), Crystal Palace (A), Brighton (H), Leicester (A) and Tottenham (A). The season begins easy for Liverpool, but after a Leicester they face 3 top six teams in their next four so Keita will need to adapt to the Premier League rather quickly if he is to be a success in the opening stages of the season.

Written by Harry Clark (@HarryClark67)

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