Liverpool FC news: £52m flop FORCED into surprise move

Things have gone from bad to worse for Naby Keita. The former Liverpool star has made another surprising move.

Naby Keita was once a star signing for Liverpool. The hype around him was incredible after his first campaign in the Bundesliga.

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Liverpool were so desperate to get him that they agreed an unusual deal with RB Leipzig. It was dependent on where the German side finished in the Bundesliga, with the Reds paying more for Keita depending on what kind of European football Leipzig qualified for.

But the really unusual part of it was that Liverpool signed Keita a year in advance. A deal was struck in August 2017 for a transfer in July 2018.

The Reds were thrilled with it, too. There was more expectation around Keita than around Mo Salah, who joined Liverpool that summer.

Things jus didn't work out, however. Keita struggled badly to remain fit and despite some bright outings, Liverpool never saw the heights they'd imagined when completing their £52m deal.

Keita left Liverpool on a free transfer in 2023 to little fanfare. And things have only gone downhill since.

Naby Keita's downfall

Keita joined Weder Bremen last summer on a free transfer. The German side called it a 'no-brainer' once it was done - here was a talent many considered the best in the Bundesliga just a few years prior.

But the move was a disaster. Keita spent most of the season injured or out of favour, featuring just five times in the league.

He was then forced to train with the youth teams going into this campaign as Bremen desperately tried to get rid of him. They've been unable to, however, and will now settle on a loan deal.

Per Kicker, Keita will join the Hungarian team Ferencvaros on loan. It's not a move anyone saw coming, of course, and represents a massive downfall for Keita.

That's no disrespect meant to Ferencvaros, either - but the Hungarian league isn't among Europe's premier competitions. The fact they've landed Keita suggests no one else wanted to go near him.

So will this one work out? It's hard to tell. Keita immediately becomes the most talented player in Hungarian football - but as Liverpool know, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll see that talent very often.

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