Liverpool legend talks up new signing

Liverpool legend talks up new signing

Liverpool legend Xabi Alonso has hailed the signing of Naby Keita this summer, saying he knows through competing against him that the Reds have secured a ‘big personality’ in signing the Guinean.

Keita will officially become a Liverpool player on Sunday after a deal was agreed to bring him to Anfield from RB Leipzig last summer, it is believed that the Reds will pay around £55m for his services.

Alonso played against Keita twice while playing for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, and says Liverpool’s new No.8 will thrive under Jurgen Klopp.

“He’s a big personality. He has the hunger, the will to compete, and after in football terms he’s an all-round midfielder,” Alonso told Liverpool’s official website – Liverpoolfc.com.

“[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.”

Asked what position he believes Keita will play for the Reds next season, Alonso replied: “[I see him as] An eight. I would say an eight.

“Sometimes he can play as a six, but I could see him more as an eight behind the three strikers.”