Paul Merson has claimed that Luis Diaz’s recent superb performances for Liverpool will have attracted the eyes of opposition clubs.
The Colombian international has hit the ground running with the Merseysiders, with his impressive start to life under Jurgen Klopp culminating with a Carabao Cup final appearance.
“He’s come in and caught everybody on the hop. Defenders wouldn’t have watched him much or known much about him and he’s taken them by surprise,” the former Gunners star told the Daily Star (via the Echo).
“Now all of a sudden he’s on the radar and this is when you’ve got to produce. He’s in opposition team talks now.
“When teams are discussing how to set up against Liverpool and who to stop, it’s not just Salah and Mane and Jota they’re talking about. It’s Luis Diaz.
“So it’s a different game for him now and this is where we are going to see what he’s made of. The top players carry it on.
“He will be a marked man. I don’t mean in a vicious way but teams will adjust and try to stop him.”
The 25-year-old has only a goal to his name for his efforts thus far, though it’s far from being a clear indication of his contributions this term.
Regularly working his way into the box and providing threatening runs down the left-flank, the former FC Porto man has been a revelation since his switch from Portuguese football.
Though we’ve yet to see Diaz’s appearances translate to a more regular supply of goal contributions, there’s no doubt that an end product will come if he can continue to demonstrate the traits that made the likes of Mo Salah and Co. so appealing before their moves to Liverpool.
Hopefully, he can get off the mark again in potentially his fourth league appearance for us against West Ham United at the weekend.