Ex-Liverpool star signed by Jurgen Klopp told to leave club after he refused to board team bus
Former Liverpool midfielder Nabi Keita has been asked to leave Werder Bremer following an incident last season. The Guinean had refused to board the team bus after learning that he was not in the starting XI, which enraged the Bundesliga club.
The German side tried to offload the 29-year-old this summer, but it wasn't to be. He is now training with the U23s and is likely to be on the move at the turn of the year.
Keita joined Werder Bremen last summer after the expiry of his contract with Liverpool. However, it now appears that his future lies away from the Weser Stadium. Speaking to the press, as cited by Sport Bible, Werder Bremen manager Ole Werner insisted that the club have treated the player fairly.
"I do believe that we have been very, very humane and very, very transparent with him at all times since he joined us. [Naby] Keita is not our issue right now, and I believe that it's best for both sides to simply look ahead and into the future, to see what good solutions Naby can find for himself and what solutions we can find without him," said Werner.
Naby Keita, who was brought to Anfield from RB Leipzig by Jurgen Klopp, has appeared just five times for the German club so far.
Naby Keita has fond memories from his time at Liverpool
Nabi Keita joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in 2018 as one of the rising stars of the Bundesliga. However, he never managed to cement his place in the starting XI under Jurgen Klopp.
The Guinean registered 129 appearances across competitions for the Merseyside club, scoring 11 goals and setting up seven more. His time at Anfield was marred with injuries, but he received a lot of support from fans.
Speaking recently to The Guardian, Keita insisted that he fulfilled a childhood dream at Anfield.
"The Liverpool fans have given me a lot of love. Even today, wherever I meet them, they show me the same love. They’re the best fans in the world. Liverpool is a family and you never walk alone," said Keita.
He continued:
"My aim was to fulfil my childhood dream of winning titles. Winning the Premier League after 30 years, winning the Champions League - these are incredible moments that I can’t forget. We won a lot of trophies and we were able to make our fans happy."
The Reds are currently embarking on a fresh journey under Arne Slot. The Dutch manager has registered nine wins in his first 10 games with the English side across competitions.