Interim Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick has told Sky Sports that Naby Keita is ‘close to his best’ for Liverpool this season as the conditions have been closer to what he needs.
Rangnick has worked closely with Keita previously in their careers during his time with the Red Bull franchise of clubs. He was sporting director when the midfielder joined Salzburg in 2014, before then convincing the Guinea technician to move to Leipzig two years later.
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Keita’s efforts with the Bundesliga outfit caught Liverpool’s eye to seal a then club-record transfer. The Reds triggered his £48m release clause, plus a premium above the fee, to add the 27-year-old from July 2018. But his transfer has not proven to be a complete success.
Keita has made 69 Premier League appearances over his four seasons with Liverpool so far. He has also only started 42 games, while offering six goals and five assists. Additionally, the 25 games he played in 2018/19 will remain the most he has played in during a single term.
Jurgen Klopp has so far featured Keita in 16 games this season, with Liverpool still having a further seven to play – starting at home to Rangnick’s Manchester United side on Tuesday. He has also matched his personal-best single-season return of two goals scored this term.
Man Utd boss Rangnick feels Naby Keita is ‘close to his very best’ for Liverpool
Having worked with Keita for so many years at RB Salzburg and Leipzig, Manchester United boss Rangnick knows what makes the Liverpool midfielder tick. And he feels Klopp has the solution from what the 48-cap star has shown so far this season after a difficult few years.
“Yeah, I think it was for him difficult because I’ve known him from the very first day when we signed him from a third division team in France for Salzburg,” Rangnick said.
“After two years, he had a big offer from PSG, but we convinced him to stay within our family and move to Leipzig. Then he had an amazing two years there and Liverpool came with that offer.
“He’s the kind of player who needs not only the attention of the manager, but everything has to be in the best possible way. And I think, for him, it was difficult to get used to that new style of football, to the level of expectation.
“But my feeling is that this season, he has been coming close to his very best. He’s getting more game time, more regularly playing – also from the beginning – and he can still be an amazing player. At No.8, he’s one of the best we ever had.”
Keita may merit starting when Liverpool host Manchester United on Tuesday after a strong FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City. He has only played 12 minutes in the Reds’ last three Premier League games, but helped set a positive tone at Wembley with his passing.
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