Liverpool: 5 players for Jurgen Klopp to sell this summer

1. Naby Keita

Naby Keita. Now here’s a player that has been the centre of many a debate between Liverpool fans.

Throughout the course of this season, some fans have suggested Keita may not be the player we were promised and for a fee of around £60m you can see their point.

As an attacking midfielder he’s had a couple of games at best in which he’s provided sparks of his potential, but nothing of real note thus far.

This is especially apparent when compared to the performances, the heart, the drive and the desire displayed by Alex Oxlade Chamberlain in the same on-field position.

The Ox, in comparison, cost around half the price of Keita but has won over Liverpool fans already by providing assists and goals alike in every competition in which he’s partaken, displaying his passion for the club in conjunction.

This has led to the somewhat ambitious suggestion that Keita should go and Liverpool should make a move to buy back Phillipe Coutinho, whom they sold to Barcelona in January 2018 for around £140m.

This would be a colossal mistake.

We know what we get with Coutinho at Liverpool and since his departure Liverpool have won the Champions League (whilst knocking Coutinho’s Barcelona out in the process) as well as positioning themselves some 25 points clear at the top of the EPL.

Safe to say that Coutinho no longer fits in at Liverpool.

With Keita, though, the jury’s still out.

Whilst Klopp has suggested, but not undeniably confirmed that Keita will be afforded another season to prove his worth, a far more suitable replacement for Keita would be that of Curtis Jones.

That’s why Klopp should consider the following:

• Give Keita one more season to come good
• If he does, great. But bear in mind how you might replace him if a high transfer bid were made for him in the future…
• If he doesn’t perform, don’t hesitate any longer. Sell him immediately in order to recoup as much of the £60m you paid for him

That last point is especially important. Not only from a financial point of view as I said. But also from the point of view of the likes of Curtis Jones.

The more game time he gets now, the more likely he is to fulfil is potential as a future midfield leader.

After all, wasn’t there another midfielder some years ago that was born and raised in Liverpool that went on to be rather successful for the club? Steven something-or-other, right?