The financial strength of the Premier League can be seen in the transfer fees and wage bills that they splash out on, and Liverpool are amongst the strongest.
As noted by ESPN, RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita will complete his €55m move to Anfield next summer, and he could prove to be a crucial addition based on the evidence of this season so far.
While the more alarming problems are in defence, as seen as recently in the defeat to Tottenham at the weekend where the backline was nowhere near good enough to cope with the attacking quality shown by Mauricio Pochettino’s side, reinforcements in midfield may well be needed too.
That’s where Keita is likely to step in, as his all-action, energetic and combative qualities are undoubtedly all aspects in what convinced Liverpool to meet his release clause, and he’s received high praise from the club that is letting him go.
Further, it’s been revealed by Leipzig that ultimately, although they were desperate to keep Keita at the club for the foreseeable future, they couldn’t compete with the wages being offered from Liverpool which ensured that they had to give in.
“He’s one of the best I’ve worked with in 20 years of professional football,” sporting director Ralf Rangnick told Kicker.
“I’d also prefer, 10 times, that we’d kept him for another five years — but we are just not able to pay salaries in excess of €10m.”
The 22-year-old played a pivotal role in helping Leipzig make the qualification spots for the Champions League last season in the Bundesliga, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists in 31 league outings.
His versatility can see him play anywhere across the midfield, while he can play a more reserved defensive role. However, he looks a real threat in both facets of the game, and based on Rangnick’s assessment of the Guinea international, Liverpool have secured themselves a top-class player with a big future still ahead of him.