Jurgen Klopp urges Naby Keita to improve after ‘average’ performances for Liverpool

November 24, 2018

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Jurgen Klopp admits Naby Keita’s recent performances for Liverpool have been ‘average’ and has urged the midfielder to improve.
Keita was signed for an initial £53 million fee which can be raised by add-ons but after an impressive start to life at Anfield, the 23-year-old has struggled to make an impact.
Keita’s campaign has been disrupted by a hamstring injury and Klopp believes getting the best out of the Guinea international will be a ‘long-term project’ for Liverpool.
‘The start was rather good, then average, that’s how it is. He played really well in the beginning,’ said Klopp.
‘Now he had that game [for Guinea] on a football pitch that was not really a football pitch – I watched the game and I saw a yellow surface and a bouncy game.
‘He came back tired. That’s how it is if you have these long flights and three stops on the way back. It’s not too cool.
‘The day before he wasn’t training but yesterday he was in training and looked completely fine. It’s nothing to judge.
‘Naby has to, and can, improve. He has to learn the language, there are a lot of things he can do, but it’s a long-term project.
‘We have this wonderful player in our squad and we will use him now, short-term, long-term, future. He is here exactly in the right place.’