Naby Keita’s shock move to Werder Bremen last week surprised even the Bundesliga outfit themselves, with the club’s sporting director admitting he considered the prospect to be ‘unrealistic’ following the midfielder’s release from Liverpool.
The 28-year-old joined Bremen on a free transfer last Friday after his contract at Anfield was not renewed, ending a five-year stint on Merseyside having joined the Reds from RB Leipzig in a £52.75m deal in the summer of 2018.
Considering Bremen were relegated from the Bundesliga as recently as 2021, before finishing three points above the relegation play-off place this season following their immediate return to the German top-flight, Keita’s signing is both a transfer coup and a surprise. To put their exploits into context, while they were challenging for promotion, the Guinean was competing in Champions League, FA Cup, and League Cup finals as Liverpool fought for an unprecedented quadruple.
