It is vital Liverpool tie midfielder Naby Keita down to a new contract at Anfield this summer, according to former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
Keita will enter the final 12 months of his contract at Liverpool this week. After a difficult 2020/21 campaign ended in disappointing fashion for the Guinean as he was dragged off in the first half of the Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat at Real Madrid, Keita enjoyed a far more prosperous season last time around as he helped the Reds win both the League Cup and FA Cup and nearly secure an unprecedented quadruple.
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However, his contract, which expires on the same day as Mohamed Salah's, is a vital issue for Liverpool to resolve this summer according to the former Tottenham Hotspur and England goalkeeper Robinson.
Speaking to Footballer Insider, he said: “ It is important that they keep Keita. He had a lot of game time last season and he played well. I was really impressed by him.
“When you consider that [Sadio] Mane has gone and that [Mohamed] Salah and [Roberto] Firmino only have a year left it is important that you keep Keita. You don’t want too much upheaval in the squad. Keita played a lot better than people expected him to this year. I think he was excellent at times."
Robinson continued: “It is very important that they keep him in my eyes. He has been much improved.
“You have to remember that they lost [Georginio] Wijnaldum last year and did not replace him. They can’t really afford to lose another.”
Following the additions of Darwin Nunez, Calvin Ramsay and Fabio Carvalho already this summer it seems that the Reds' business - in terms of incomings - has been concluded. This means, should there be no further departures at Anfield, Jurgen Klopp will have nine senior midfielders to pick from during the upcoming campaign as he is boosted by the return of Harvey Elliott.
Keita started 14 of Liverpool's 38 Premier League games last season, a number that would have no doubt been higher if it wasn't for his involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations.
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