Former Liverpool player Naby Keita arrives back on Merseyside after being frozen out by Werder Bremen

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Liverpool saw a real overhaul of their playing squad during the summer of 2023.

Having had a really poor season and finishing fifth in the Premier League, it was obvious that a clear out was needed.

For Jurgen Klopp, this meant saying goodbye to a number of players who had been pivotal to his ultra successful time at Liverpool.

The biggest changes came in midfield, where Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner, Fabinho and Naby Keita all left.

Since going their separate ways, none of these five formerly key members of the Liverpool squad have found much success.

But for Keita, his post-Reds career has been an absolute disaster. Having joined Werder Bremen on a free transfer, the Guinean has played just five times. And after being frozen out at Werder, Keita is now back in Liverpool.

Naby Keita comes back to Liverpool

Keita is regularly seen by supporters as one of the biggest transfer flops in Liverpool history.

Signed for an enormous sum from RB Leipzig in 2017, Keita did not join until 2018, with the Reds willing to wait a year for him to arrive.

Upon arrival Keita showed glimpses of quality and over five years he played a fairly big part in Liverpool winning just about everything they could.

But there is no escaping the feeling that his Anfield career was one of major disappointment.

READ MORE: Naby Keita shares what he really thinks of Liverpool fans after leaving in 2023

Unfortunately, things have not got much better for Keita in the year-and-a-bit since he left. After playing just five times last season, Werder Bremen have frozen Keita out, telling him to find a new club.

Unsurprisingly, the 29-year-old has not played for the Germans during the current 2024/25 season.

And now, as per Keita’s Instagram page, he has arrived back in Liverpool. Posting a picture of himself perched in a dining area, the Guinea captain simply says “Liverpool.” He’s back.

What happened to Liverpool’s other 2023 departures

Keita’s story is a sad one, and his career appears to be more or less over before even turning 30.

But for the other players who left alongside him in 2023, things have not really been all that much better either.

Henderson’s is the most well-known path, with the former captain’s ill-fated move to Al Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia ending after less than six months. Now at Ajax, the 34-year-old is in and out of the team.

Milner has had injury problems after prolonging his Premier League career at Brighton and has played just 23 times for the Seagulls across a season-and-a-third.

Oxlade-Chamberlain found some success at Besiktas, winning the Turkish Cup. But despite rumours of a move back to England, the 31-year-old remains with Besiktas, with whom he is yet to play a game this season.

Meanwhile, both Fabinho and Roberto Firmino remain out of the way in the Saudi Pro League, playing regularly for Al Ittihad and Al Ahli respectively.