Xabi Alonso believes that new Liverpool signing Naby Keith will make a huge impact at Anfield in the 2018/19 season and has was lyrical about his quality.
The 23-year-old midfield enforcer will official join the Reds on 1 July after they agreed to sign him last summer from Germany club RB Leipzig.
He will take up the iconic number eight shirt at the Merseyside club and will hope to hit the ground running in the Premier League.
Ex-Liverpool midfielder Alonso has backed Keita to succeed in Jurgen Klopp’s side and has stated how important it is that he buys into his philosophy.
“He’s (Keith) a big personality. He has the hunger, the will to compete, and after in football terms he’s an all-round midfielder,” Alonso told the club’s official website.
“[He’s] good with the ball, he runs and dribbles very quickly with the ball, but he also likes to make things tick in the midfield.
“I think for this position in front of the holding midfielder, or even as a holding midfielder [or] close to the front three, he can have that role to find the space and to be up there. So [he’s a] good signing.
“He will have to adapt to the idea [of Klopp’s philosophy], but I don’t think that he will have many problems because he’s a great player and very complete.
“[Under] Jürgen you need to do [play like] ‘bang, bang, bang’ and if he gets it, he will do well.”
OPINION
Liverpool fans have had some wait for the arrival of Keita, but there seems to be every chance that their patience will be rewarded. Keita looks a perfect fit for the English game and the powerhouse should be a great force in the middle of the park. The central midfielder has rose to fame in the Bundesliga with his combative displays and he can now crank up competition for starting places at Anfield. He will able to the ugly defensive side of the game, but he also offers plenty of threat going forward. The Guinea international made 39 appearances across all competitions for RB Leipzig last season, scoring nine goals and supplying seven assists in return. Liverpool have seen Emre Can link up with Italian giants, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is currently sidelined with an injury for the foreseeable future. Keita will provide an excellent option for Liverpool in midfield and it will be interesting to see if he can become an instant Anfield favourite.
