"Cannot be consistent": Mark Lawrenson on Liverpool midfielder

Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson has given his verdict on Reds midfielder Naby Keita.

The Guinea international started ahead of Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson against Villarreal at the Estadio de la Ceramica earlier this week (Champions League semi-final, second leg).

However, come the European Cup final against Real Madrid, Lawrenson would start the Englishman ahead of Keita.

The 64-year-old told Off The Ball (04:20) the following: “Henderson would play for me. Keita just cannot be consistent and that’s a problem for me, sometimes the game passes him by. Henderson, he’s good with Trent (Alexander-Arnold) because he sits in when Trent goes past him."

Liverpool will face the Spanish giants in Paris on the 28th of May.

Anfield Watch Verdict

Liverpool signed Keita from RB Leipzig for a transfer fee of £54 million back in the summer of 2018.

However, as Lawrenson pointed out, the midfielder has been inconsistent since joining the Reds.

Keita has only scored 11 goals and registered six assists in 109 appearances for Liverpool's first-team.

Therefore, we would also prefer to see Henderson start in the Champions League final.

The England international has been a consistent performer for Liverpool over the years, which is why he has made 442 appearances for the club's first-team.

Henderson is also the club captain. With that being the case, we fully expect him to start against Real Madrid in the final.

But, the fixture is still a few weeks away, so Henderson needs to stay fit until then. On another note, Keita's contract expires in June 2023.

It would be fair to assume that the club will either sell him in the near future or attempt to extend his contract.

Liverpool won't want to lose Keita on a free transfer. Only time will tell where his long-term future lies.