Players - Naby Keita

Naby Keita
Birthdate: 10 February 1995
Birthplace: Conakry, Guinea
Other clubs: FC Istres (2013-14), Red Bull Salzburg (2014-16), Red Bull Leipzig (2014-18), Werder Bremen (2023-)
Signed from: Red Bull Leipzig
Signed for LFC: £52.75m, 01.07.2018
International debut: 28.07.2013 vs. Mali
International caps: 52/12 (24/7 at LFC) - 17.06.2023
Liverpool debut: 12.08.2018
Last appearance: 25.02.2023
Debut goal: 05.04.2019
Last goal: 30.04.2022
Contract expiry: 30.06.2023
Win ratio: 70.54% W:91 D:18 L:20
Honours: Champions League 2019, FIFA Club World Cup 2019, Premier League 2019/20, League Cup 2022, FA Cup 2022
League games / goals / assists: 84 / 7 / 5
Total games / goals / assists: 129 / 11 / 6

Player Profile

Naby Keita was described as the 'complete midfielder' by Jürgen Klopp when he arrived in Liverpool in July 2018. Klopp was so keen on the player that the deal had been agreed a year beforehand when the Reds had agreed that they would trigger his £48million release clause at RB Leipzig. He spent two seasons with the German club, helping them qualify for a first-ever Champions League in 2017. Born in 1995, Keita grew up in Guinea and joined his local side Horoya at the age of nine. After unsuccessful trials with Le Mans and Lorient, he was offered a chance by French Ligue 2 side Istres, signing for them in 2012. Making his debut as an eighteen-year-old in November 2013, he went on to score eleven goals in 23 appearances, but couldn't save his club from relegation to the third tier. 

Keita moved to RB Salzburg of the Austrian Bundesliga, winning the league and cup double in his first season and then being named footballer of the year in Austria for 2015/16. This led to him being moved sister club RB Leipzig, scoring seven goals for them in his debut season, which was the club's first-ever in the top flight and ended in Champions League qualification. After the deal to join Liverpool was agreed he remained in Leipzig for a year, helping them to a sixth-place finish. His first appearance in a Liverpool shirt was against Chester in a friendly on 7 July 2018.

Keita started the first three Premier League games of 2018/19 but had to settle for more rotation and substitute appearances as the campaign went on, with six quality players vying for three midfield positions. He got his first Reds goal at Southampton on 5 April 2019, then another against Huddersfield at Anfield three weeks later. However, just as he appeared to have nailed down a regular starting place, a groin injury sustained in the first half of the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona ended his season. Keita did recover though in time to join up with the Guinea squad for the African Cup of Nations and came off the bench in the Community Shield on 4 August. However, he was again frustrated when he injured his hip in the Super Cup final. It was a stop start season for him, but the three month lay off as a result of Covid 19 was a benefit to him, and he impressed in the game in which he featured that were behind closed doors.

2020/21 proved to be another frustrating season for Keita. He started the first four Premier League games, before testing positive for Covid 19. He suffered from ankle and hamstring injuries, the had the humiliation of being substituted before half time in Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final first leg defeat at Real Madrid. He was then an unused substitute for the next three league games but didn't make the matchday squad for the last five of the season, all of which were won as the Reds secured Champions League qualification.

 

Keita scored three goals in 23 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, including the opener in a 5-0 win at Manchester United. However in 2022/23, after coming off the bench in the Community Shield he was ruled out with a hamstring injury until December. He made only three Premier League starts and with his contract expiring at the end of the season it was confirmed he would be leaving the club. In June 2023 it was announced he had agreed a deal to return to Germany with Werder Bremen.

Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 84 8 8 24 5 129
2018-2019 25 1 1 6 0 33
2019-2020 18 0 2 4 3 27
2020-2021 10 0 1 4 1 16
2021-2022 23 4 3 10 0 40
2022-2023 8 3 1 0 1 13
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
9 536 Chelsea
9 450 Wolves
7 303 Leicester City
7 293 Brighton & Hove Albion
7 222 Manchester City
6 328 Crystal Palace
5 339 West Ham United
5 296 Burnley
5 250 Aston Villa
4 274 Norwich City
4 193 Arsenal
4 152 Manchester United
4 144 Everton
4 132 Southampton
3 245 Bournemouth
3 191 Newcastle United
3 174 Tottenham
2 179 Benfica
2 164 Genk
2 128 Cardiff City
2 97 AC Milan
2 97 Villarreal
2 96 Watford
2 90 Fulham
2 87 FC Salzburg
2 59 Leeds United
2 56 Inter Milan
2 55 Real Madrid
2 29 Napoli
1 100 Flamengo
1 90 Huddersfield Town
1 90 Porto
1 90 CF Monterrey
1 76 Bayern Munich
1 64 Nottingham Forest
1 63 MK Dons
1 62 Midtjylland
1 46 Atletico Madrid
1 44 Brentford
1 25 Atalanta
1 24 Paris St Germain
1 24 Barcelona
1 19 Red Bull Leipzig
1 15 Lincoln City
1 10 Sheffield United
Total Started/substitutions
77 Started
41 On the bench
52 Substitute
58 Substituted
Total Venue
68 Away
54 Home
7 Neutral
Total Competition
84 Premier League
24 Champions League
8 FA Cup
8 League Cup
3 Community Shield
2 World Club Championship
Total W D L Win % Manager
129 91 18 20 70.5% Jürgen Klopp
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 7 0 0 3 1 11
2018-2019 2 0 0 1 0 3
2019-2020 2 0 0 1 1 4
2020-2021 0 0 0 0 0 0
2021-2022 3 0 0 1 0 4
2022-2023 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Assists per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 5 0 0 1 0 6
2018-2019 1 0 0 0 0 1
2019-2020 3 0 0 0 0 3
2020-2021 0 0 0 0 0 0
2021-2022 1 0 0 1 0 2
2022-2023 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's assists
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 12.08.2018 West Ham United Anfield League
50 15.02.2020 Norwich City Carrow Road League
100 12.03.2022 Brighton & Hove Albion AMEX Stadium League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 36 05.04.2019 Southampton St Mary's League
Related Articles
Keita Liverpool's £52m man ready to kickstart career after Salzburg win - Liverpool Echo

Salzburg 0 Liverpool 2 on 10 December 2019.

Naby Keita steps out of Steven Gerrard's shadow

10 April 2019 - Keita inspires Liverpool to victory against Porto.

Jurgen Klopp's shrewd signings key as Reds prove they have all the answers

5 December 2018 on Burnley - Liverpool.

Shrewd transfer business pays off

20 August 2018 on Crystal Palace - Liverpool.

Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Istres 2013-2014 France 2 23 4 23 4
FC Salzburg 2014-2015 Austria 1 30 5 44 6
Red Bull Salzburg 2015-2016 Austria 1 29 12 37 14
Red Bull Leipzig 2016-2017 Germany 1 31 8 32 8
Red Bull Leipzig 2017-2018 Germany 1 27 6 40 8
Total 140 35 176 40