Naby Keita, a midfielder for Liverpool, is leaving the team this summer on a free transfer, and it’s safe to say that this was an acquisition that completely fell short of expectations.
According to The Athletic, the Reds spent a lot of money to buy Keita a few years ago, beating out clubs like Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but the Guinean international might have done more to make the most of his time at Anfield.
According to the source, there was a perception around Liverpool that Keita might have put more effort into improving his English, which frequently resulted in embarrassing gaffes.
Keita experienced injury issues while playing for Liverpool as well, but according to The Athletic, he occasionally misunderstood instructions regarding critical phases of his recovery.
The article also mentions a time when Keita was asked in the player canteen whether he would like to go for a little jog around the practice field, but his response was that he enjoyed eggs.
The language barrier appears to have caused some complications for Jurgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders as well, as the 28-year-old didn’t always grasp the tactical instructions given to him.
Keita is undoubtedly a great player, but it’s unfortunate that he didn’t maximize his potential while playing for Liverpool.
