Former Manchester City defender Danny Mills reckons Naby Keita is entering a “make or break” period at Liverpool.
Keita is currently in his second season at Anfield, but it’s fair to say that he is yet to reach the heights he showed at RB Leizpig.
Since his official arrival in 2018, Keita has made 51 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals including a crucial goal in last season’s Champions League quarter final win over Porto.
However, the 25-year-old has made just nine outings in the Premier League this term, scoring once in the top flight, but did bag a crucial strike in the Club World Cup semi-final victory over Monterrey in December.
Mills believes that Keita must soon make a “real impact” next season if he is to have a future on Merseyside.
“Jurgen Klopp will have the luxury of looking round at his players,” Mills told Football Insider.
“Once they have got the six points that they need they can start to drop one or two players in. He won’t make wholesale changes but he will look at one or two and give them an opportunity to prove themselves ahead of next season.
“It is a fresh start for a lot of players. Some may relish playing under a little less pressure.
“I think it is make a break for Keita next season. He needs to make a real impact if he is going to stay at Liverpool long-term.
“He has had enough time to settle in now and get used to his surroundings, teammates and the way that Klopp works.
“If he has not grasped that by next season and is not really pushing to be in the first team week in, week out, he might not be the right fit.”
