Slot has already found Luis Diaz 2.0 in Liverpool’s “frightening” 17 y/o

FSG are going to spend money on Liverpool‘s first-team squad this summer time. It’d really feel just like the Anfield facet are allergic to switch exercise, however having held off from massive acquisitions over the previous three home windows, the time for strengthening is almost upon us.

What’s the precedence? The place ought to sporting director Richard Hughes centre his focus? Liverpool are approaching a vital juncture, not least as a result of arguably the largest three names on the membership are only a few months away from their contracts expiring.

Nevertheless, Liverpool are a prudent membership and can have spent numerous hours mapping out methods going ahead. Whereas the way forward for right-sided ahead Mohamed Salah stays some extent of nice rivalry for followers, who desperately need him to remain, there are one or two forwards whose gross sales could be met with much less dismay and extra acceptance.

Maybe, in Luis Diaz‘s case, such an eventuality would even be a heat factor.

Why Liverpool ought to money in on Luis Diaz

Make no mistake: Diaz is without doubt one of the finest wingers in all of the Premier League Europe. The Colombia worldwide joined from Porto in January 2022, all tips and athletics and vitality. He cost an initial £37m and was billed as Sadio Mane’s successor.

He has succeeded Mane, successful the FA Cup and two Carabao Cups; and, whisper it quietly, he is edging towards matching the Senegalese’s Premier League title tally.

However Diaz can also be approaching a crossroads of his personal, for he shall be taking part in out the penultimate 12 months of his Liverpool contract subsequent 12 months. By the point Diaz’s present deal expires, he can have turned 30.

There’s additionally the matter of his efficiency, averaging a goal contribution every 0.39 matches for Liverpool versus the devastating Mane’s 0.60 per game.

With Cody Gakpo, 25, so excessive and mighty on the left wing, you’re feeling that Diaz has been demoted to a second-fiddle type of position, solely taking part in with such regularity this time period due to his makeshift centre-forward stint, largely facilitated by Darwin Nunez‘s unreliability and Diogo Jota‘s inconsistency on the health entrance.

It is attainable that Diaz shall be bought this 12 months. Barcelona and Saudi-based outfits have expressed an curiosity, with Liverpool fielding bids worth £67m.

He’d want changing externally, to make certain, however Liverpool would possibly discover that they really have a homegrown successor of their midst.

Liverpool might have already got their subsequent Luis Diaz

Gakpo has scored 16 objectives already this season, matching his haul from final 12 months having played about 1,000 fewer minutes. For positive, the Netherlands star has changed Diaz as Liverpool’s star man on the left flank.

Diaz remains to be taking part in commonly although, however his clean in opposition to Everton final weekend now implies that he has gone six top-flight fixtures with no purpose contribution, beginning because the ‘striker’ every recreation. In truth, the 28-year-old has solely scored in seven of his 34 matches in all competitions, with 12 objectives in whole.

The South American’s soccer is not completely outlined by his numbers, however he is hardly irreplaceable for a sum akin to £67m, particularly when Liverpool have a prospect as thrilling as Rio Ngumoha pushing in opposition to the first-team fencing.

Ngumoha, 17, has made waves inside Liverpool’s academy this 12 months, having been poached from Chelsea’s Cobham final summer time in what has been considered a detrimental blow by senior Chelsea figures.

He is the true deal. It is a state of affairs that has even been likened to the Blues’ former loss of Jamal Musiala, who joined Bayern Munich aged 16 and hasn’t seemed again.

Ngumoha noticed the success of ‘Klopp’s Youngsters’ final 12 months and determined that Liverpool’s foundational fold could be the right hothouse for him to foster his skill and battle for a spot within the first crew.

Liverpool’s starlet is principally a left-sided ahead however, as is commonplace at youth degree, he is performed throughout a wide range of roles. Nevertheless, the suitable footer’s tempo and pure energy denote a spot on the left wing.

Reporter Lewis Bower went as far as to say that his quality at such a young age is peerless at Kirkby academy: “I’ve most likely by no means seen something prefer it earlier than. When it comes to his ceiling, it is scary.”

All informed, he is relatively good, together with his FA Cup exhibiting in opposition to Accrington Stanley this season showcasing the uncooked qualities that bespeak a future on the summit of the European recreation.

He was tenacious, with a chew and ball-carrying drive that definitely presents similarities to Diaz. With a number of years of onerous graft forward, Ngumoha may discover himself occupying a nailed-down position in Slot’s squad, maybe taking the long-term seat that can have been vacated by Liverpool’s Colombia worldwide.

The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle even handed Ngumoha a 7/10 match rating on his skilled debut, inflicting issues for the League Two facet all through and taking a look at house amongst his senior friends. {The teenager}’s propensity for good timing was famous, releasing balls on the proper second and figuring out when to tackle his man.

The caveat to all that is that ought to Diaz be bought this summer time, it will be remiss to throw Ngumoha into the deep finish earlier than he has developed his soccer to the suitable degree.

Nevertheless, on condition that Slot has already handed the prodigy a chance, it is truthful to say that he can anticipate additional possibilities over the approaching months and years, with a purpose towards taking the baton as Liverpool’s new talisman.

Associated

Sold for 1570% profit: Klopp hit the jackpot with Liverpool’s superstar

This former Liverpool participant made all of it occur for Jurgen Klopp’s crew.