Liverpool’s signing of Diogo Jota from Wolverhampton Wanderers last month certainly caught us all by surprise.
While it will be difficult for the Portugal international to immediately break into Jurgen Klopp’s attacking triumvirate, his arrival could certainly still be a revolutionary one.
The 23-year-old is a player who is both unpredictable and lethal in attack – two qualities of the utmost importance for a typical Klopp player. He has a directness in his running coupled by his work rate off the ball to indicate Jota could become an incredible player if moulded in a similar format to that of Sadio Mane.
There are a number of similarities between Jota’s arrival and that of Senegalese sensation Mane who joined Liverpool from Southampton in 2016.
Jota was signed from Wolves, who like Southampton, have a growing reputation for developing and harnessing young talent. Much like Southampton’s recent success, where Liverpool signed Mane from; Wolves have also taken to life in the Premier League like a duck to water since their return to the top-flight in 2018.
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Like Mane, Liverpool paid heavily to secure an up-and-coming attacker from a PL rival.
Jota will cost Liverpool £45 million in total, The Guardian report, a fee made up of add-ons and instalments.
Liverpool paid a similar fee to that for Mane over four years ago in a deal that cost £34 million.
The fee itself help mark Jota as a special talent, as it did with Mane.
This lends an extra degree of excitement to the signing of Jota as it represents an attacking addition of intent for the future and demonstrates the club’s meticulous ability to identify the perfect candidates that can be transformed into world-beaters under the stewardship of Klopp.
Mane arrived at Liverpool a relatively unheard of prospect yet in just a few short years, he is now among the top and most lauded forwards in world football.
This isn’t to say that Jota’s career-path will follow the same breathtaking upward trajectory yet it does make his signing all the more exciting as it shows Liverpool and Klopp have noticed similar trends in the Portuguese forward’s game that could be moulded in a similar fashion to Mane.
Anything from him this season though would be a bonus, and it is long term where we expect Jota to pay off.
Liverpool have made their first major attacking addition of intent since they secured the services of Mohamed Salah back in 2017. The English champions are signing a raw gem who has the ability to be one of the world’s best, and in turn, become a regular for the club over the next five years.
Mane at times in his first season was spectacular, yet his development into the global superstar he is today was still progressional which indicate supporters may have to be patient with Jota if he is to follow a similar career path.
With Klopp’s contract not due to expire until 2024, Jota represents a step in the right direction – a sizeable investment which could become a bargain.