Barcelona rivalled by London giants in race to sign Liverpool midfielder

Barcelona will reportedly need to fend off competition from London giants West Ham United to sign Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita.

According to a report by Transfer Market Web, Barcelona will be facing intense competition from West Ham United in the race to sign Naby Keita. Bayern Munich, AC Milan, and AS Roma will also be courting the Liverpool midfielder in the summer transfer window.

Naby Keita joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in July 2018 and has since endured a topsy-turvy ride at Anfield. While the Guinean midfielder has shown flashes of brilliance, a spate of injuries has blighted him in the last three and a half years, restricting his involvement considerably.

As a result, Keita has turned out 92 times for Liverpool while garnering only 4,671 minutes of game-time, chipping in with ten goals and five assists in the process. However, despite his struggles, the 26-year-old has no shortage of suitors, with Barcelona and West Ham United setting their sights on him.

The interest from Barcelona is understandable amid the uncertainties surrounding the future of Frenkie de Jong. Widespread reports have claimed that Barcelona could sell the Dutchman to balance their books and fund transfers in the summer window as a result.

However, Barcelona will need to bring in a replacement if de Jong is sold in the summer. To that end, the Catalan giants have been linked with several midfielders, including Denis Zakaria, with Keita also a viable target. However, Barcelona will face intense competition from West Ham United to sign the Liverpool midfielder.

The east London giants could need to sign a midfielder in the summer transfer window amid widespread interest in Declan Rice. While West Ham’s intention is to keep hold of their prized possession, they must keep their options open in the contingency that Rice leaves. To that end, the Hammers have been linked with a few midfielders lately, including Pedro Aquino, with Keita an option worth considering.