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Liverpool told to complete January signing amid Keita concerns

Naby Keita
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Former Reds star Stan Collymore has urged the club to sign a new midfielder to keep pace with Chelsea in the Premier League title race.

Stan Collymore believes Naby Keita’s injury problems highlight the need for Liverpool to sign a new central midfielder in January.

Keita limped out of the 2-2 draw with Brighton on Saturday with a hamstring problem. The Guinea international lasted only 20 minutes in the game before succumbing to the injury. He now joins fellow midfielders Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho, James Milner, and Harvey Elliott on the sidelines.

With this, and a jam-packed festive fixture schedule ahead, in mind, Collymore reckons Liverpool must act quickly in the winter transfer window to avoid slipping further behind leaders Chelsea in the Premier League table.

“Naby, I’m worried, I’ve got to be honest,” the former Reds striker told Empire of the Kop.

“On Empire of the Kop this season, there’s nobody that’s batted for him more than me but the questions I keep getting back from people when I see the videos posted on social media are: ‘Stan, we have to wrap him in cotton wool’, ‘Stan, he’s like glass’, ‘Stan, he doesn’t play the requisite amount of games because of injury’ and he’s injured again.

“The central hub of Liverpool’s midfield now needs every one of the technical staff, every one of the recruitment staff, to look at it and say: ‘Is there an argument that we need to bring somebody in, in midfield?’

“I believe the answer to the argument is yes. Don’t now let this three-point gap to Chelsea become six or nine because you haven’t addressed those issues.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said he doesn’t expect Keita to recover in time for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid.

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