Topic: Naby Keita Watch

[kaesarsosei]

The way things are looking financially across Europe this summer, it will be impossible to shift Keita without incurring at least a 50% loss on him. What clubs in Germany, France, Italy or Spain can even afford to spend £30m on a player (leaving aside arguments as to whether he is worth that any more)?

Unless there is some top half PL club willing to take a punt (he could do well at Southampton, West Ham, Villa, Spurs), I think Keita will get another season simply due to lack of alternative.

[Mozology]

I think Keita will get another season simply due to lack of alternative.

Agreed

[67CherryRed]

The way things are looking financially across Europe this summer, it will be impossible to shift Keita without incurring at least a 50% loss on him.

Which would currently be an amazing result. If we stop kidding ourselves we have to admit his performances have been those of a £10m player, not a £50m one.

Cut our losses and move on, it's a rare (but hugely expensive) mistake by Edwards and co, but freeing up the wages and place in the squad will allow us to bring someone in who a) plays games and b) contributes when they do.

[harleydanger]

Which would currently be an amazing result. If we stop kidding ourselves we have to admit his performances have been those of a £10m player, not a £50m one.

Cut our losses and move on, it's a rare (but hugely expensive) mistake by Edwards and co, but freeing up the wages and place in the squad will allow us to bring someone in who a) plays games and b) contributes when they do.

a) we're thin in midfield

b) he is better than anyone we'll get to play 5th choice mid

c) if you do the math of selling him and buying someone else, we're better just keeping him.

[19th Nervous Title]

a) we're thin in midfield

b) he is better than anyone we'll get to play 5th choice mid

c) if you do the math of selling him and buying someone else, we're better just keeping him.

I think he's part of the problem in that respect. Exacerbated by Ox's inability to get a game. Between them we have a 100 million pound spend simply occupying squad places. Given the financial hit of Covid, can we afford the luxury of keeping both?

[WhereAngelsPlay]

I think he's part of the problem in that respect. Exacerbated by Ox's inability to get a game. Between them we have a 100 million pound spend simply occupying squad places. Given the financial hit of Covid, can we afford the luxury of keeping both?

Using Covid as an excuse to bash one of our own 

[19th Nervous Title]

Not bashing him. Everyone and their dog on here concedes his talent. What can't be conceded by some is that a players availability forms a part of their value.

The reality is that all but the oil clubs are feeling the financial hit of Covid. We are also doing a stadium expansion. It was a question (note the question mark), not a bashing.

[Bangin Them In]

I think he's part of the problem in that respect. Exacerbated by Ox's inability to get a game. Between them we have a 100 million pound spend simply occupying squad places. Given the financial hit of Covid, can we afford the luxury of keeping both?

You could also say given the financial hit of COVID, can we afford to sell them now either- their value today will be neglibile

[19th Nervous Title]

Admittedly I have little understanding of football contracts. This time next year the pair will have only a year left on their contracts. Will their transfer value surely be less? They will also receive about 5 million each in wages (if they're on 100 / week), so another 10 m spent.

Putting it in purely financial terms is mercenary, but they have had 3 years to shine. Can we afford 2 very brittle midfielders going into year 4 of contracts?

This is a financial question.

[El Lobo]

Admittedly I have little understanding of football contracts. This time next year the pair will have only a year left on their contracts. Will their transfer value surely be less? They will also receive about 5 million each in wages (if they're on 100 / week), so another 10 m spent.

Putting it in purely financial terms is mercenary, but they have had 3 years to shine. Can we afford 2 very brittle midfielders going into year 4 of contracts?

This is a financial question.

...yeah, we probably can.

Obviously ideally we wouldnt have to, but what are the options? If we sell them their value will be a lot less than they're actually 'worth' if they were playing regularly (big if obviously). If we did decide we wanted to sell them, we're also then reliant on both of them choosing to move to a much poorer club at a lower level AND most likely taking fairly significant wage cuts I'd imagine. We can keep them and hope that eventually we do get a decent amount of football out of them, but then we've had that hope for a while.

Its not an easy situation for anyone. It'd be sods law that we sold Keita for a crazy low amount and then he gets over his injury record and someone else gets a top class CM still before his prime, for a song.

[Sheer Magnetism]

...yeah, we probably can.

Obviously ideally we wouldnt have to, but what are the options? If we sell them their value will be a lot less than they're actually 'worth' if they were playing regularly (big if obviously). If we did decide we wanted to sell them, we're also then reliant on both of them choosing to move to a much poorer club at a lower level AND most likely taking fairly significant wage cuts I'd imagine. We can keep them and hope that eventually we do get a decent amount of football out of them, but then we've had that hope for a while.

Its not an easy situation for anyone. It'd be sods law that we sold Keita for a crazy low amount and then he gets over his injury record and someone else gets a top class CM still before his prime, for a song.

The Ed Woodward approach, in other words.

[El Lobo]

The Ed Woodward approach, in other words.

...what? 

[Sheer Magnetism]

https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/phil-jones-signs-new-contract-with-manchester-united

https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/eric-bailly-discusses-new-long-term-contract-with-man-utd-26-april-2021

https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/juan-mata-signs-new-contract-to-stay-at-man-united

https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/marcos-rojo-signs-new-contract-at-manchester-united

[El Lobo]

https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/phil-jones-signs-new-contract-with-manchester-united

https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/eric-bailly-discusses-new-long-term-contract-with-man-utd-26-april-2021

https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/juan-mata-signs-new-contract-to-stay-at-man-united

https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/marcos-rojo-signs-new-contract-at-manchester-united

...what? 

[him_15]

I would give him one last chance if I am Klopp.

[stockdam]

It’s a tough one.

Sell him and you may get about £10M which could be put towards another player. We’d have to sell 5 or 6 players to get one who would be in and around the first team.

Alternatively you keep Keita and hope his injury record improves. If so then you’ve saved a lot of money. However I don’t see his injury record improving and therefore you just have to take what is offered which won’t be a lot.

[Suareznumber7]

The upside to keeping him is far higher then any negatives if he has another injury riddled season.  He's clearly a top talent and if he can put together the type of run that people keep going on and on about then he'll be one of the best midfielders in the league.  If he is indeed "5th choice" you aren't going to find a better one so the gamble of keeping him and hoping he stays fit is one that I would take.  Whether Klopp and Edwards take that gamble is a question we'll soon find the answer to. 

[classycarra]

It’s a tough one.

Sell him and you may get about £10M which could be put towards another player. We’d have to sell 5 or 6 players to get one who would be in and around the first team.

Alternatively you keep Keita and hope his injury record improves. If so then you’ve saved a lot of money. However I don’t see his injury record improving and therefore you just have to take what is offered which won’t be a lot.

If, in this hypothetical, we can only receive £10million for him then the decision is incredibly easy. You Gini/Emre Can/Joel Matip it, and you see out his contract and extract as much value as you can for a high performing player (when fit).

The opportunity cost of saving his wages and getting £10million isn't going to go anywhere close to being able to afford to buy a player of similar quality that can play all season.

[Red-Soldier]

I think the most logical decision is to keep him and see what he does next season.

[rocco]

Unless £30m Been offered I’d keep him and give him another Season

[jonnypb]

I think the most logical decision is to keep him and see what he does next season.

I think if a decent offer comes in (£25-35M) during the summer, or if we can include him in a player/cash swap deal, then he moves on.  It would be a huge risk keeping him with his injury record as if he has a similar season next year then he'll be coming into his final year and value will be next to nothing.

I'd love him to shine next season and be injury free because he has got the quality.  I think it was when he got injured at the Barca(?) game, he was having a good run up to then and was showing why we bought him.

[PaulF]

Presumably the medical team give the club far more insight into his likely availability than we can guess at?

[farawayred]

Presumably the medical team give the club far more insight into his likely availability than we can guess at?

Oh, I thought they read RAWK and that's how they form an informed medical opinion...

[PaulF]

Oh, I thought they read RAWK and that's how they form an informed medical opinion...

No. LFC staff have been banned from rawk, because they were making too many decisions based on the transfer threads.

[Henderson19]

Keep. He will come good. Give him next season to prove it. I’ve still got faith.

[lionel_messias]

No chance anyone can say he will come good. The boss seemingly has no faith in him and the 'take him out and put him on a special fitness regime' thing has been done already.

He may end up staying with us by default but I reckon we'll take the 50% hit on him if offered this summer. For starters, Jones could take his minutes and develop his career.

[Phineus]

No chance anyone can say he will come good. The boss seemingly has no faith in him and the 'take him out and put him on a special fitness regime' thing has been done already.

He may end up staying with us by default but I reckon we'll take the 50% hit on him if offered this summer. For starters, Jones could take his minutes and develop his career.

Pretty much yeah. If his sale, or lack thereof, has no impact on our transfer business this summer in terms of getting Klopp's and Edwards top targets then fine to keep him.

If we are as dependent on player sales as the club has been hinting at via Pearce (which I don't think we are, think that's just posturing) then it makes the most sense to move him on for around 20-30m and reinvest in someone Klopp trusts and who, most importantly, is regularly available.

[JasonF]

No chance anyone can say he will come good. The boss seemingly has no faith in him and the 'take him out and put him on a special fitness regime' thing has been done already.

He may end up staying with us by default but I reckon we'll take the 50% hit on him if offered this summer. For starters, Jones could take his minutes and develop his career.

That was mid-January and since that extended break he's missed 2 games with injury. I think it's too soon for anyone here to say with any certainty whether it helped or not.

[AndyMuller]

Keep. He will come good. Give him next season to prove it. I’ve still got faith.

Getting deja vu here.

[lionel_messias]

That was mid-January and since that extended break he's missed 2 games with injury. I think it's too soon for anyone here to say with any certainty whether it helped or not.

It didn't help him play in the actual team did it!!!!

[Keith Lard]

No way he goes for anything less than 30m. Anything less and he’s worth more to our squad and taking an in-house punt to try and rehabilitate his career and profile.

See it from the perspective of a buying club. You have the opportunity to have a potentially world class player controlling your midfield for the next 5-10 years if you can keep him fit and give him the love. I can see clubs bidding 25m + add ons, which still seems too cheap for a player of Naby’s ability.

[Charlie Adams fried egg]

Don't forget his book value will be lower than his transfer value so if, and it's a big if, we sell him a reduction in what we paid does not mean an accounting loss.

I'm torn on this one though, he's a great player to watch, but the availability thing is an issue. Him being Guinea's main man doesn't help either. Then again Matip not playing internationals hasn't exactly helped with his availability for us.

Best leave it to the club I guess.

[tubby]

If a suitable offer comes in, I think he's off.  Such a frustrating situation because, on paper, he's the ideal Klopp midfielder.

Just cannot stay fit and when he has been available, he's not exactly lit up the league.  Just some solid performances, no standout, game-changing stuff.

[Keith Lard]

He’s still just 26. There’s still time. He should look to Matip’s champions league winning season for inspiration if he still has ambition to fulfil that huge potential he has

[Yorkykopite]

If a suitable offer comes in, I think he's off.  Such a frustrating situation because, on paper, he's the ideal Klopp midfielder.

I would think so too. But it might be quite difficult to get Keita off our books. Obviously no club will match the fee we paid for him since his stock has sunk so low since then. But I wonder if Keita would be interested in a pay cut when, at the back of his mind, he must be thinking "If I'm injured and unable to play most of the time would I rather be on Liverpool's wage or the one offered by ...... Lazio/Lille/Bayer Leverkusen/Watford?"

[Oldmanmick]

Keep. He will come good. Give him next season to prove it. I’ve still got faith.

George Michael had faith & look what happened to him.

[killer-heels]

George Michael had faith & look what happened to him.

Successful music career?

[Schmidt]

He’s still just 26. There’s still time. He should look to Matip’s champions league winning season for inspiration if he still has ambition to fulfil that huge potential he has

Inspiration isn't Naby's problem, it's the series of injuries that he isn't to blame for and can't do anything to stop. However frustrated people are with him, I'd bet it pales in comparison to how frustrated he is at every little setback.

[Oldmanmick]

Successful music career?

Crap midfielder though.

[mainone]

didnt have  adam did he