Danny Murphy has appeared to suggest that Liverpool could already have an ‘electric’ readymade successor to Mo Salah at the club who’s ‘been like a new signing’.
Reds fans have been left on tenterhooks over the future of the 31-year-old amid ongoing interest from Saudi Arabia, with the Anfield hierarchy already rejecting a £150m bid for the attacker (Sky Sports).
With the English transfer deadline having passed, Jurgen Klopp won’t be able to sign a replacement for the Egyptian if he were to depart in the coming days, although one current teammate has seemingly been touted to fill the void straight away should a move to the Middle East materialise.
In his latest column for the Daily Mail, Murphy wrote: “Klopp will be disappointed if Salah leaves. He’s human, he has known Mo for a long time and he won’t want to keep a player against his will.
“And now he won’t have a chance to replace him. But he also has a group of young, creative players who will only get better with more game-time.
“Luis Diaz is an electric player, he has been like a new signing. Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota can play off the right. And I think we’re about to see the best from Darwin Nunez. He’s going to be a superstar. Give him time.”
Liverpool sorely missed the goals and dynamism of Diaz in their attack last season, with the Colombian missing the bulk of the campaign due to a knee injury (Transfermarkt).
However, the 26-year-old has already netted two goals in his first three matches of 2023/24, while the Reds haven’t lost a competitive match since his comeback in April (Transfermarkt).
It’s not just the end product that Klopp’s side have missed either, but also the sheer vivaciousness that he brings. As per WhoScored, he’s posted the joint-highest match average of successful dribbles at Anfield this term, frequently confounding opposition defenders who can’t handle him.
In order for Diaz to be considered the true heir to Salah, he’d have to be switched over to the right flank from the left-sided role in which he’s excelled so far on Merseyside, but the Colombia star has occasionally played on that wing (Transfermarkt) and could be trusted to do a job there if required.
The ideal scenario is obviously that the Egyptian stays and Liverpool can continue to count on both him and the 26-year-old tormenting opponents on either side of their attack.
However, if our number 11 is tempted away by the riches on offer from Saudi Arabia, Diaz has looked capable of stepping up to become the Reds’ marquee forward.
#Ep88 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones🎙️