After tying down Mohamed Salah to a new deal at Anfield, Liverpool are seemingly set to offer Naby Keita a new deal to extend his stay at the club.
What's the word?
The former RB Leipzig midfielder's contract at Anfield is currently set to expire at the end of next season and the club are keen to extend his contract, or they risk losing him for nothing after paying £52.75m to sign him from the Bundesliga side in 2018.
In his latest article for The Athletic, James Pearce provided an update on the 27-year-old's future at Liverpool, writing:
"Liverpool are looking to get Naby Keita tied down to a new contract and talks are ongoing. I know he divides opinion among fans but I thought for the most part he did very well in the second half of last season.
"As for his injury record, of course, it’s frustrating and he’s had a lot of misfortune. However, he still made 40 appearances in all competitions in 2021-22. As well as the fact Klopp still believes in him, a new deal protects the 27-year-old’s value."
Supporters will love it
While Pearce is right in that Keita divides opinion amongst Liverpool fans, he was a key part of their success last season and impressed with his performances in the Premier League, averaging a solid 6.79 rating from WhoScored for his performances.
Since joining the club from Leipzig, the Guinean midfielder has endured some injury problems but has still made 116 appearances for the Reds, contributing 11 goals and seven assists.
His 40 appearances last season were the most he's made in a single season, so he is clearly still valued highly by Klopp.
Meanwhile, at 27 he is one of the younger midfield options in Liverpool's side, so could easily see more game time as the likes of James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Thiago decline with age.
If Keita can have another impressive season in the 2022/23 campaign, then supporters will surely be more than happy to have him at Anfield for the significant future, so will surely be delighted to hear that the club are set to offer him a new deal.