Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: Premier League, Liverpool, Transfers, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, FC Porto
Ryan Sidle
Topics: Premier League, Liverpool, Transfers, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, FC Porto
Jurgen Klopp could have solved the issue of being without Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah for several weeks, with Liverpool reportedly close to making a £60 million signing.
Klopp will currently be worrying which of his team is available to play in the FA Cup this weekend, following the postponement of Liverpool's Carabao Cup semi final on Thursday.
After that though the German has to work out how to replace Mane and Salah in his first choice XI for the next few weeks, whilst they're at the African Cup of Nations, while trying not to lose any more ground on league leaders Manchester City.
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Whilst Diogo Jota, Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino will be important to their chances of keeping up their form, Klopp will need some sort of reinforcement.
It looks like that will come in the form of Porto forward Luis Diaz, with the Sun claiming that the forward is 'close' to a move to Anfield this month.
The report says that Dias has a £67 million release clause but that the Premier League title challengers are hoping to get him for slightly less.
They expect the 24-year-old to cost closer to £60 million, and his arrival is only imminent because of AFCON, as Klopp originally preferred to wait for the summer to sign the forward.
Liverpool were likely to have to freshen up their forward line in the coming years, with Mane, Salah and Firmino all nearing or in their 30s and having played as a trio for a few years now.
The introduction of Jota was first part of that boost to their attacking ranks, with the former Wolves striker now arguably ahead of Firmino in the pecking order.
Dias is seen as the next part of that, and the perfect back up to Mane and Salah, having impressed the manager during two games against the English team in this season's Champions League.
The Colombian, who signed for the Primera Liga side in 2019, has scored 12 goals in the league so far from just 15 games, and grabbed another two in Europe.
No one scored more goals than him at last summer's Copa America, with Lionel Messi level with him on four goals but winning the Golden Boot due to having more assists than Dias.
With the team now nine points behind Manchester City and potentially a couple more league games before their two main forwards are back at Anfield, Liverpool will be hoping any new signing can hit the ground running.