Liverpool ‘transformer’ failed Virgil van Dijk test as Jürgen Klopp admission shows brutal truth

Michael Edwards made a bold and unprecedented move as Liverpool’s sporting director back in 2017. He wished to upgrade Jürgen Klopp’s midfield department by signing a player who would transform the middle of the park, but the man who the Reds wanted was not available on the market.

Edwards, who left his post last summer, wanted a player by the name of Naby Keïta. The Guinean international wasn’t quite regarded as a star on the European stage, but he was growing in prominence as RB Leipzig’s talisman as the German club made waves in the Bundesliga, challenging the mighty Bayern Munich.

Keïta was deemed to be special, especially according to Edwards’ so-called ‘stats man’, Ian Graham. The African midfielder was regarded as the type of do-it-all talent that Liverpool needed, as he showed up in the numbers as a player who can stand out in both attack and defense.

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With Edwards shaping Liverpool’s new ‘Moneyball’ era under Fenway Sports Group — who had delivered success using similar methods in Boston — he found a way to negotiate a deal for Keïta which would see him arrive at Anfield 12 months later. He was signed a whole year in advance of his debut for Liverpool, which is a very rare occurrence.

Klopp had disciplined and industrious players at his disposal in Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum and James Milner to name but a few, but stardust was lacking. Keïta was identified as a game changer, and when he finally arrived on English shores, he started the first game of the new Premier League season, with skipper Henderson benched to accommodate him.

“I’m surprised how good he is actually, if I’m honest,” said ex-Reds striker Daniel Sturridge after training with him for the first time. “I haven’t seen a midfielder like him for a while, he is something different. The things he can do with the ball. He can defend, he can pass, he can dribble, he is fast, he is strong. He has got everything.”

Everything looked perfect, and the early signs suggested that Keïta would live up to his expensive price tag. Around five years have passed since that point, though, with the 29-year-old set to leave Liverpool for free this summer once his contract expires. This weekend, the Reds will face Aston Villa at Anfield in what will be the final home game that Keïta will witness before his fresh start next season.

Since moving to Merseyside, Keïta has averaged just 9.8 starts per Premier League season, which captures his lack of involvement despite his high-profile transfer. Injuries have been the primary reason behind his decline, but even when he’s been fit, Klopp has appeared reluctant to place the same amount of trust in him that he would in Henderson or Milner.

Virgil van Dijk proceeded to improve Liverpool’s defense in 2018, and Alisson Becker did the same to Klopp’s goalkeeping department six months later, with the pair labeled as ‘transformational’ captures, hence their sizable transfer fees. Keïta was supposed to be the team’s midfield transformer of sorts, but it simply never happened for him.

Klopp even reluctantly admitted his inability to meet the required Van Dijk and Alisson standards in his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon. “Naby, everybody knows. We spent a lot of money, a lot of expectations. Because of injuries, he couldn’t meet all of them, but look at the football he played in his best moments. He played big games, scored big goals.”

Indeed, Keïta showed flashes of brilliance during his time at Anfield, but for the most part — despite being presented with Steven Gerrard’s vacant number eight jersey upon his arrival — he failed to establish himself as a key cog on Merseyside, with Klopp often using him as a rotation option rather than an indispensable starter.

Liverpool hasn’t got many transfers wrong since Klopp was appointed back in 2015, but Keïta’s expensive purchase ranks near the bottom of the list in terms of value for money. He will leave the Reds as a champion who played a part in a golden era, but supporters will surely wonder about what might have been as they prepare to say goodbye to him this weekend.