Naby Keita, who joins Liverpool from RB Leipzig this summer, would improve any club in the world, his former RB Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuttl has said.
Midfielder Keita agreed to move to Anfield last summer, and Hasenhuttl — who last week left Leipzig after two years — told Bild the 23-year-old would be an outstanding addition.
“The lad’s just that good,” he said. “He’s a pro through and through, he lives and breathes football. Even if he wins the Champions League, Jurgen [Klopp] will be thankful for the reinforcement.”
Guinea international Keita spent two years at Leipzig but, after an outstanding debut campaign following his move from RB Salzburg, failed to replicate his initial success last season. Hasenhuttl said he had no doubts that Keita would succeed, though.
“He will join an already incredible squad,” he added. “But if there’s one player I don’t have any fear that he can make it at every club in the world, then that’s Naby.”
Leipzig finished sixth in the Bundesliga, meaning they will have to get through Europa League qualifiers if they are to secure a second year in the group stages of a European competition.
Their failure to secure back-to-back Champions League qualification reportedly reduced Keita’s transfer fee from €75 million to €68m.
Stephan Uersfeld is the Germany correspondent for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @uersfeld.
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