It’s no secret that Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are looking to acquire the signature of RB Leipzig midfield sensation Naby Keita, with reports increasingly linking the Guinean with a move to Anfield. It is uncertain whether he will be a Liverpool player by the time the summer transfer window slams to a close.
As the air clears, it could be very much possible that Keita ends up wearing the red of Liverpool, but the asking price that Leipzig have put on the midfielder’s head can well deter the Reds from signing him. It isn’t as if the club can’t afford the sum, it’s a case of getting players that can well perform to Keita’s level more than anything else.
We run the rule over five of the best Naby Keita replacements for Liverpool.
#5 Johannes Geis
A lesser known alternative to the man who was one of the Bundesliga’s best performers this past season, Johannes Geis was once a Manchester United target during his Mainz days.
Currently 23, the German star was one of Schalke’s best performers in a season in which they were expected to do much better than actually ended up doing. Geis didn’t score or assist a single time, but his work revolves more around being a midfield destroyer and winning the ball back in areas around the back four. Geis won 1.7 tackles per game and he made 2.4 interceptions as well.
He operated in a three at the back shape and acted as a sole holding midfielder throughout the season. And Klopp’s German connections will have no problem in helping him in getting this man.
#4 Grzegorz Krychowiak
Someone who was once on the radar of a host of top clubs during his Sevilla days, Polish midfielder dynamo Grzegorz Krychowiak has fallen out of favour at Paris Saint-Germain, despite having made a big money move to France last summer.
He made 11 Ligue 1 appearances and a player of his quality deserves to play a lot more than he actually is. Krychowiak is a beast in the heart of the park, who likes to recover balls in midfield and circulate it forward. He uses his body stature to very good effect and is very good in the air. He won over two aerial duels per game last season and it could have been more if Unai Emery had played him more. He’s got a passing accuracy of over 85 percent and would fit in right into a Premier League side.
And if there’s any player than Klopp would love to have, it would be this man. And with the Pole now left out of PSG’s pre-season tour this will be cherry picking for the Reds if they are at all interested
#3 Jean-Michel Seri
A more complete midfield outlet than most in the list, Jean-Michel Seri has already attracted interest from the likes of Tottenham, Roma, Arsenal and Barcelona.
The Nice star emerged as one of the club’s best players in what was a season that surprised many at the club and in Europe. Having operated as a box to box midfielder under Lucien Favre, Seri scored seven times and assisted nine for his club and his tireless approach to the game stood out. The 23-year-old has the capabilities of playing equally well as a deep-lying playmaker or as a forward moving midfielder as well.
His versatility in the heart of the park would be a bonus for Klopp, who likes players that work hard on and off the ball.
#2 Mateo Kovacic
One always wonder as to when was the last time Mateo Kovacic played regularly for club or country. It was undoubtedly during the time when he was at Inter Milan, but his career certainly needs to get back on track now.
Having already drawn links to Spurs, Kovacic made only 19 starts for Real Madrid this past season and certainly deserves more than that. He operated as the sole deep-lying midfielder and also as the back-up for role model Luka Modric, hardly cementing his place in the side. Once tipped to become the next Steven Gerrard during his days at the San Siro, Kovacic will find it tough to break through the competition in the Real ranks, with Dani Ceballos also on his way.
The move would suit both parties and with both of them desperate to prove some points, it would make a lot of sense as well.
#1 Radja Nainggolan
Probably one of the best midfielders in Europe right now, the mercurial Radja Nainggolan is a player than every big club would love to have in their ranks. None more so though, than Liverpool themselves.
While the flamboyant Belgian flourished as an attacking midfield player this past season, he has been a holding midfield player ever since he began his career. He’s known for being the no-nonsense player who loves to tackle and break the opposition’s legs with the usage of his body mass and energy. He likes to sit in front of the backline and destroy teams by protecting the four behind him.
The fact that he scored 11 times and assisted five times as an attacking midfield player shows that he is the complete midfield outlet that the Reds could need. He bring star quality to the plate, apart from determination and energy to dominate games.
