How Liverpool could line up with Luis Diaz
Stuart Hodge
- Updated: 29 Jan 2022 05:39 CST
- 6 min read
Liverpool look poised to secure a deal for Porto winger Luis Diaz before the transfer window closes and the Colombian will join what is already a packed Liverpool frontline.
Jurgen Klopp has an array of attacking options at his disposal and Liverpool weren’t necessarily in a rush to secure his signature but they have been very high on the player for a while, and the news that he could move elsewhere in the window has encouraged the Reds to move quickly.
A number of formalities including the player’s medical have still to be completed but it has been reported that a five-year deal has already been agreed, as well as a €45 million fee with up to €15m more in potential bonuses and add-ons.
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Interestingly, incoming sporting director Julian Ward, who will take over the role when Michael Edwards leaves in the summer, has spearheaded this deal and it would be seen as a coup for Liverpool’s new transfer chief.
Tottenham Hotspur were said to be leading the race earlier this week but Liverpool now look in position to gazump the North London club.
Reports in Portugal have suggested that player was keen to move to a bigger club than Spurs and was holding out for a “higher level” of move.
Manchester United have also previously been credited with an interest in Diaz but it looks like he’s heading to Anfield, with European football expert Andy Brassell claiming he’d be a "perfect fit" for the Reds.
But where would Diaz fit into a team blessed with a bountiful array of attacking talents?
Liverpool XI with Diaz
Diaz can play on the right but his natural position is as an inverted left winger. With that in mind, playing on the left flank will be the most likely place for him to feature.
That position has been Sadio Mane’s beat for five-and-a-half years now and it won’t be easy to dislodge the Senegal international from the team. Since moving from Southampton in 2016, he has been automatic selection in the strongest Liverpool XI and even won Premier League Golden Boot honours in 2018-19 when he finished as the league's joint-top goalscorer as the Reds ended their three decade-long title drought.
But at 29, and with Klopp rotating his squad more than ever given the crammed fixture list, having a multitude of options is pivotal – and a club of Liverpool’s stature always has to think of succession planning.
Diogo Jota also often features on the left when Roberto Firmino is deployed through the centre, so Diaz will have to work hard to make his mark on the first team.
Academy sensation Kaide Gordon is also comfortable across various positions and will be eager to cement a role across the medium-to-long term as well, so it won’t be easy for the Colombian.
In terms of Diaz covering on the right flank, Mohamed Salah is considered by many to be the best player in the world and Takumi Minamino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and youngsters Nico Williams and Gordon are all happy playing that position.
Diaz though, comes very highly-rated, with his former coaches saying he can do “a little bit of everything” and plays without pressure.
His performances at the Copa America last year, where he was the tournament’s top scorer with four goals alongside Lionel Messi, also suggest that he has the talent to succeed at Liverpool.
“A player like Lucho, with the qualities he has, can play for any team. It’s not easy to find players like him," Arturo Reyes told O Jogo.
It takes a special kind of player to break into the Liverpool team, but Diaz – who has scored 41 times, with 19 assists, in 125 Porto games – may well have the ability to do just that.
