After a 40-day wait, Liverpool returned to competitive action in the EFL Cup against Manchester City. Unfortunately, they will not be retaining the trophy after going down 3-2 to Pep Guardiola’s side.
The Reds had some good moments in the game, despite missing several key players who are returning from their World Cup adventures. One positive for Jürgen Klopp was the return of Naby Keita. The Guinean has been absent since August with a hamstring injury and will be hoping to return to form for the remainder of the season.
Keita’s contract is expiring next summer, and he has been linked with a move to AC Milan. He is free to negotiate a transfer in the new year.
On the latest episode of our Journo Insight show, we asked goal.com’s Neil to run the rule over Naby’s contract situation.
Neil said:
“Liverpool would quite like to have him in the team, but what impact does it have if it emerges that he’s not signing a new contract? Do Liverpool say at any point we’re not prepared to juggle our team around for someone who’s not going to be here next season? Do they change their ploy with him or do they make a last push to give him a new contract?
The only real thing you would cling to is that it’s one less headache if you give him another contract and you say, he’s here, he might be fit, and he might be great, we don’t have to replace him in the squad. It doesn’t look likely at the moment it. I think Liverpool would quite like him to stay. I think Jürgen Klopp would like him to stay. It’s the 22nd of December – I think we’re looking like ‘Bye-bye!’”
Redmen Reacts
Despite inconsistencies in Keita’s performance levels and injury record, Liverpool will be boosted by his return. The Reds need as much firepower as possible in their attempts to win the Champions League and finish in the top 4 of the Premier League. Naby was one of the first names on the team sheet towards around the time of last season’s FA Cup semi-final, so it would be foolish to leave him out of the squad if fit. However, summer should be the end of the road at Anfield for one its most divisive players. Naby has never started more than five games in a row for the club, despite approaching the fifth anniversary of his signature. The all-action, box-to-box style Jude Bellingham has shown recently is a reminder of the type of player Reds fans thought was arriving from RB Leipzig. There is a strong argument Liverpool were not ruthless enough in moving on Keita or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a year or more ago, both of whom look set to leave on a free transfer this summer.
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