Naby Keita left Liverpool fans drooling yet again on Saturday with another teasing glimpse of the talent set to arrive on Merseyside in July.
The Guinean midfielder found himself on the wrong end of a 5-2 scoreline with RB Leipzig, but was still able to conjure a familiar moment of individual ingenuity.
Keita’s long-range expertise sit towards the top of a lengthy list of attractive features and continue to defy initial perceptions of him as merely a defensive midfielder.
Liverpool don’t have a no.6 on the way but instead another box-to-box outlet capable of bolstering an explosive attacking force.
With Leipzig trailing their Bundesliga opponents 3-0 at the time, Keita picked up the ball on the edge of the box before expertly beating two markers and firing the ball goal-bound – getting some welcomed help from the post and the goalkeeper on the way in.
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Keita has now registered eight goals and seven assists in 35 games across the 2017/2018 campaign – serving as a respectable tally considering criticism of his consistency earlier in the season.
The 23-year-old continues to market himself as another supplier of the bursting midfield runs that have seen Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain thrive in Jurgen Klopp’s system.
His energy and athleticism promise to be key in breaking the lines and fulfilling Liverpool’s need for a swift transition between defence and attack.
With a proven eye for goal as a bonus, Keita threatens to be a devastating hit in English football.