Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has told Liverpool to not renew 27-year-old midfielder Naby Keita's contract this summer.
Keita joined The Reds in 2018 for £48m and has gone on to make 76 appearances, scoring 6 goals.
It is clear, however, that Agbonlahor isn’t a fan of the Guinean captain. In an interview with Football Insider, the former Aston Villa man describes Keita as “on and off,” a bit “wild,” and as a player who “doesn’t score enough goals.” As such, he doesn’t “see Liverpool renewing Keita.”
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Liverpool are believed to be somewhat tentatively interested in bringing in a new midfielder signing and Aurelien Tchouameni was a priority for the Reds before he joined Real Madrid. As such, attention has shifted to Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, but that pursuit may not commence until next year.
So, Keita will have a big role to play at Liverpool this season if he stays at Anfield. He has struggled with injuries over the course of his first three years in England but showed glimpses of his quality last season in what was a relatively injury-free campaign for the 27-year-old.
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He won’t be without competition though. Harvey Elliot will be hoping to rediscover his pre-injury form after he broke his ankle last season. A restful summer and a solid pre-season could rejuvenate the youngster. New signing Fabio Carvalho is also capable of playing in the middle of the park.
As such, despite what Gabby Agbonlahor believes, Liverpool’s Naby Keita will be sticking around this season. He’ll also likely receive a new contract. However, after failing to set the world alight at Anfield since moving to Merseyside in 2018, Keita will be hoping he can begin to silence critics like Agbonlahor next season.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Naby Keita, Liverpool, Liverpool Transfer News & Rumours, Transfers