James Pearce has emphatically nixed any possibility of Diogo Jota departing Liverpool in the summer transfer window.
The £140,000-per-week forward (FBref) has been the subject of speculation in recent days, with Jacque Talbot reporting for Football Transfers are eyeing a £60m move for the 26-year-old.
The Portuguese attacker has endured a frustrating injury-hit season at Anfield, with his last goal for the Reds coming 11 months ago in a 2-2 draw at Manchester City.
However, responding to readers in The Athletic‘s matchday Q&A, Pearce is adamant that the ex-Wolves forward won’t be sold in the summer.
The journalist commented: ‘Not sure where that one started! Jota isn’t going anywhere’, also stating: ‘I just can’t see that happening. Klopp loves him. And I’ve certainly not heard that the player is unsettled’.
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There’s no getting away from how disappointing the 26-year-old’s campaign has been, with no goals in 15 appearances and his involvement curtailed by hamstring and calf injuries (Transfermarkt).
His cause has not been helped by the recent good form of Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez, while Luis Diaz will further strengthen Liverpool’s attacking options once he returns from his own convalescence.
However, it would be remiss of the Reds to sanction the sale of a player who boasts a solid return of 34 goals and 15 assists in a century of Anfield appearances (Transfermarkt), and it would be lunacy to allow him to join a Newcastle side with whom we are now in direct competition in the Premier League table.
It’s good to see Pearce giving short shrift to any notion that FSG might cash in on the Portugal attacker.