"Wow" - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp impressed with midfielder's performance against Manchester City

Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp has said that midfielder Naby Keita left him impressed by his substitute cameo during the club's Community Shield triumph against Manchester City on July 30.

The Reds opened their 2022-23 season in style with a resounding 3-1 victory over the Premier League champions at the King Power Stadium on Saturday. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez scored the goals for Liverpool.

Keita, who is in the final year of his contract at Anfield, came on as a substitute for Thiago in the 85th minute and turned a lot of heads with his performance. The 27-year-old helped his club maintain possession with precise passes and clever movement in the centre of the park.

Speaking to the club website, Klopp shared his two cents on his midfielders' performances during the fixture. He said:

"I love Harvey's impact, [it] probably came a bit late, only because of set-pieces, we were not sure [with] how to deal with it. Millie is, I am not sure which level he can reach this year to be honest, it looks very promising with Millie. Curt [and] Naby... wow when Naby came on."

Since his arrival from RB Leipzig for £48 million in the summer of 2018, Keita has failed to cement his place in the first-team owing to a host of injuries. During the 2021-22 campaign, he registered four goals and three assists in 40 matches across all competitions.

Overall, the nimble-footed midfielder has made 117 appearances for Liverpool, helping his team lift the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League trophies in the process.

Liverpool are scheduled to open their 2022-23 Premier League campaign away from home against newly-promoted Fulham side on August 6.

Liverpool in hunt of Marcos Leonardo

According to Bolavip, Liverpool are expected to make an official proposal to sign Santos striker Marcos Leonardo. The 19-year-old has registered 28 goals and six assists in 102 appearances for the Brazilian outfit.

So far, the Reds have announced the signings of striker Darwin Nunez from Benfica, attacking midfielder Fabio Carvalho from Fulham and right-back Calvin Ramsay from Aberdeen.

On the other hand, the club have offloaded forwards Sadio Mane, Takumi Minamio and Divock Origi, and defenders Neco Williams and Ben Davies in the ongoing transfer window.