Klopp transfer decision fully vindicated as ‘fear’ grows over Liverpool old boy; club don’t want to take risk as new target is set

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has rapidly been proved right in his decision to let Naby Keita depart Anfield as a free agent, with the midfielder’s situation going from bad to worse at new club Werder Bremen.

The German paid RB Leipzig a huge £52.75m fee to sign Keita in a much-heralded deal in summer 2018, with the fee to this day still within the top-five biggest fees ever shelled out by Liverpool.

However, Keita’s time on Merseyside was to prove little short of a disaster; the midfielder managing just 129 appearances over five years and missing a staggering 122 other matches due to injury.

Suffering a variety of knocks throughout his spell in England, the Guinean star was rarely a player Klopp could come to count upon and he proved a major disappointment given the prestigious No 8 shirt he inherited upon his arrival at Anfield.

With his contract running down, talks were held over Liverpool extending his stay. But ultimately – and despite costing the club such a sizeable fee – it was decided by Klopp that Keita’s deal would not be renewed, leaving the 28-year-old free to look for another club.

Despite his plagued injury spell, Keita had no shortage of suitors, but ultimately decided to head back to Germany – where he previously enjoyed the best spell of his career – signing a three-year deal with Werder Bremen.

However, Keita has continued exactly where he seemingly nearly always was at Kirkby – on the treatment table.

And since making the move to northern Germany, Keita has been limited to just three appearances in the Bundesliga.

READ MORE: Klopp told Liverpool summer signing is not up to standard and replacement may already be needed

Werder Bremen fear more Naby Keita injury woes

Upon his arrival, Keita suffered an adductor injury that caused him to miss 64 days.

Returning to action, and debuting in mid-September, Keita managed one start and two substitute appearances – totalling a mere 81 minutes – before injury struck again.

This time the midfielder has hit by an unspecified muscular injury which, to date, has sidelined him for a further 39 days.

Having missed a total of nine of Werder’s games to date, the Bundesliga side were hoping the current international break would have provided an opportunity for Keita to build up his fitness and work on his recovery.

However, Bild reports that Bremen’s ‘frustrations’ over the midfielder ‘have now turned to fear’. And they are so wary of him suffering a knockback in his recovery plan that they have decided to cancel his involvement in a planned behind-closed doors friendly against Bundesliga 2 side Hansa Rostock.

Explaining why they don’t want to risk him, head of first-team football Clemens Fritz stated: “Naby will not be used yet.  We will continue to build him up in training.  The goal is for him to be able to play again after the international break.”

Klopp proven right over midfielder’s Liverpool exit

The article then explains that those in power at Bremen ‘don’t want to risk’ Keita suffering another injury with the ‘the fear of another injury too great’ to run the risk of letting him feature in the friendly.

The paper claims Bremen coaches are refusing to put a date on his possible return, either, with the German side ‘terrified’ of losing him to a sustained period of time.

If all of that sounds familar to Liverpool then observers would be right. It’s a sorry state of affairs, truth be told, as while Keita’s talents were there for all to see during his time with Leipzig, he was rarely given the chance to showcase that at Anfield and it seems it is also becoming a common thread now while at Bremen.

Klopp will take no pleasure from seeing his former charge continuing to struggle, though deep down, will know his decision to release the player was the correct one.

DON’T MISS: Klopp stunned as Guardiola muscles Man City into contention for major Liverpool attacking target