Director says signing ‘quality’ Liverpool ace this summer was a ‘no-brainer’

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Werder Bremen bringing Naby Keita back to the Bundesliga from Premier League giants Liverpool was a ‘no-brainer’, according to the club’s sporting director Frank Baumann. 

Then again, with the former RB Leipzig enforcer suffering an injury which kept him out for a number of weeks even before he had made his debut for Werder Bremen in pre-season, Baumann may have already discovered why a midfielder who once cost Liverpool a cool £52 million was available for nothing this summer. 

A cruel and never-ending series of injuries wrecked Naby Keita’s Liverpool career. He started less than 50 Premier League games across five years at Anfield – included in Jurgen Klopp’s XI on just three occasions in 2022/23 – with the Merseyside giants opting against extending his contract before it expired on July 1^st. 

Baumann, meanwhile, is playing down suggestions that signing Keita was a risk. Though another injury suffered just weeks into his Werder Bremen career may suggest otherwise. 

Naby Keita leaves Liverpool for Bundesliga return

“I wouldn’t speak of a courageous decision with him, because Naby stands for footballing quality and we got him on a free transfer and on reasonable terms,” Baumann argues in conversation with Kicker.

“Nowadays, they say no-brainer. If he had been significantly more expensive, it would have been different.”

Keita is one of a number of midfielders to leave Liverpool this summer. Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have also departed, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai arriving. Liverpool also hope to bring in Romeo Lavia from Southampton after failing with an opening bid of £40 million. 

Klopp, meanwhile, is full of praise for the performances of young James McCallum in pre-season; taking advantage of some high-profile departures to stake his claim. 

“James in the (number) six (role) is just a joy to watch,” Klopp said after that 4-0 hammering of Leicester City in Singapore. “The boy never played in that position before. We put him there and he throws his heart on the pitch.”