Jurgen Klopp thinks Liverpool star Naby Keita can make ‘big steps’ this season

Follow us on Google Discover

Is the Liverpool midfielder set to have a big season now he has settled at Anfield?

Jurgen Klopp believes Naby Keita is more settled at Liverpool and, if he puts his injury problems behind him, can make a bigger Anfield impact this season, The Mirror report.

Keita signed for the Reds in 2017 for a reported £48m fee (The Telegraph), but didn’t make the switch to Anfield until last summer.

His debut season in England was a difficult one. The 24-year-old wasn’t quite the goalscoring hit he proved to be in Germany and Austria with RB Leipzig and Salzburg.

He made just 22 starts across the season in all competitions too, with injury and fitness issues also taking their toll.

Given he was a much-hyped arrival, some have questioned whether Liverpool should be expecting more from him over the coming campaign.

Klopp reckons, like the rest of his teammates, the midfielder is now well placed to make “big steps” in his development.

As quoted by The Mirror, the Anfield boss said: “Of course, the Premier League is a big step for every player coming from abroad.

“But of course, now he has settled into the team and the club. His English is getting better, all that stuff and these are all important things.

“So do I expect more? I just expect development – that’s how it is to be honest from everybody. I think they can all make big steps and that’s what we are working on.”

Klopp is never going to come out in the media and make direct demands of his players, but everyone at the club will be hoping Keita can emerge as a prime pick in the Reds’ midfield.

Scoring 17 goals and assisting 15 times in 71 appearances for Leipzig, he is capable of making an impact on opposition defences in a top European league.

It’s really on the midfielder to prove he can do that at Liverpool though and he must seize any opportunities that Klopp sends his way.

Fortunately for Liverpool, he’s looked sharp in pre-season and came off the bench against Manchester City in yesterday’s Community Shield to impress too.

He appears to be a player that is ready to offer a more direct threat from central areas than other midfield options.

Will the Liverpool boss now start him against Norwich City on Friday?

It’d be a great platform for the player to show his manager and fans he is ready to become a regular.