Player Profile

Naby Keita was described as the 'complete midfielder' by Jürgen Klopp when he arrived in Liverpool in July 2018. Klopp was so keen on the player that the deal had been agreed a year beforehand when the Reds had agreed that they would trigger his £48million release clause at RB Leipzig. He spent two seasons with the German club, helping them qualify for a first-ever Champions League in 2017. Born in 1995, Keita grew up in Guinea and joined his local side Horoya at the age of nine. After unsuccessful trials with Le Mans and Lorient, he was offered a chance by French Ligue 2 side Istres, signing for them in 2012. Making his debut as an eighteen-year-old in November 2013, he went on to score eleven goals in 23 appearances, but couldn't save his club from relegation to the third tier. 

Keita moved to RB Salzburg of the Austrian Bundesliga, winning the league and cup double in his first season and then being named footballer of the year in Austria for 2015/16. This led to him being moved sister club RB Leipzig, scoring seven goals for them in his debut season, which was the club's first-ever in the top flight and ended in Champions League qualification. After the deal to join Liverpool was agreed he remained in Leipzig for a year, helping them to a sixth-place finish. His first appearance in a Liverpool shirt was against Chester in a friendly on 7 July 2018.

Keita started the first three Premier League games of 2018/19 but had to settle for more rotation and substitute appearances as the campaign went on, with six quality players vying for three midfield positions. He got his first Reds goal at Southampton on 5 April 2019, then another against Huddersfield at Anfield three weeks later. However, just as he appeared to have nailed down a regular starting place, a groin injury sustained in the first half of the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona ended his season. Keita did recover though in time to join up with the Guinea squad for the African Cup of Nations and came off the bench in the Community Shield on 4 August. However, he was again frustrated when he injured his hip in the Super Cup final. It was a stop start season for him, but the three month lay off as a result of Covid 19 was a benefit to him, and he impressed in the game in which he featured that were behind closed doors.

2020/21 proved to be another frustrating season for Keita. He started the first four Premier League games, before testing positive for Covid 19. He suffered from ankle and hamstring injuries, the had the humiliation of being substituted before half time in Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final first leg defeat at Real Madrid. He was then an unused substitute for the next three league games but didn't make the matchday squad for the last five of the season, all of which were won as the Reds secured Champions League qualification.

Keita scored three goals in 23 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, including the opener in a 5-0 win at Manchester United. However in 2022/23, after coming off the bench in the Community Shield he was ruled out with a hamstring injury until December. He made only three Premier League starts and with his contract expiring at the end of the season it was confirmed he would be leaving the club. In June 2023 it was announced he had agreed a deal to return to Germany with Werder Bremen. He was beset by the same injury problems, missing pre season with an abductor injury then on his first start in October, tore a thigh muscle. In April 2024 he was suspended for the remainder of the season after refusing to travel with the squad to an away game at Leverkusen. There was no way back for him in 2024/25 and a deal was agreed for him to join Hungarians Ferencvaros on loan in the January transfer window. He regained his form there and the deal became permanent in January 2026.