Naby Keita has already left a lasting impression on his teammates following training sessions early on in his Liverpool career.
The Guinean’s all-action midfield tenacity and energy has caught the eye of Alberto Moreno, who has been equally impressed with the Reds’ other new arrivals.
Four games into his first pre-season campaign with the club and Keita has teased a mere glimpse of what his elite talent dictates he can be capable of on Merseyside.
A striking supremacy and assertiveness on the ball has been well balanced by an intelligence and athleticism to patrol all areas of midfield as a key defensive contributor.
Discussing Keita and fellow summer signing Fabinho, Moreno told Liverpoolfc.com: “Everybody knows that Fabinho is a great midfielder, and from what I’ve seen of Naby in training, he’s just incredible! As we say in Spain, he’s a real pit bull.”
“I’m still to see Shaqiri but everyone knows him well for his stats and his Premier League record, and how well he performs.”
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Keita’s standout moments in pre-season so far include two similar assists for Daniel Sturridge, which saw him feed the striker after stealing the ball high in the final third.
His outings have meanwhile staged his ability to feed runners from deeper positions and launch bursting runs between the lines as an ignition of Liverpool’s counterattack’s.
Though Fabinho looks slightly further behind Keita in terms of fitness and rhythm, the Brazilian has already injected a tranquility and composure to Klopp’s midfield.
Reds are likely to see Shaqiri in action for the first time when Liverpool arrive in New Jersey for their second stop on their tour of the USA for the International Champions Cup tournament.