Sadio Mane could be in for some big changes if Jurgen Klopp gets his reported transfer wish. The Liverpool boss supposedly wants Luis Diaz.
Jornal de Notícias claims Jurgen Klopp wants Porto winger Luis Diaz at Liverpool. The Colombian wouldn’t come cheap, however – £67m is the asking price.
But Klopp needs someone new this winter. Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah both disappear to the AFCON, leaving Liverpool light.
Diaz would certainly be an explosion of help on the left flank. He’s scored nine Primeira Liga goals in 11 games this season from the wing. This comes after a wonderful Copa America campaign, too, where he finished as top scorer alongside Lionel Messi.
There is another consideration here, though – what happens after AFCON? Mane and Salah will return, after all, leaving Liverpool with a £67m winger sliding down their pecking order.
And that’s why we think Klopp may change how he uses Mane.
Klopp to change Mane role
Mane has built his Liverpool career on being a wonderful all-around left-winger. He can create, he can score, he can run at players, he’s brilliant on the counter, in possession – Mane can do it all.
But that’s changed slightly this season. Mane is playing far more of a poacher’s role as we detailed here.
We think that might be a sign that Mane’s future could be more central than usual. Not that Liverpool would stop using him from the left but Diaz’s arrival would allow for Mane to really fall into that striker role.
He’s adept at dropping deep into space, meaning he might even be a better fit as a centre-forward than Diogo Jota. Mane is obviously a threat in behind, too, and he can press like mad.
So if Liverpool do sign Diaz, we think Mane might start playing other roles a little more often. He’d still take that left-wing role in the best XI but the 29-year-old may drift into other positions in certain games.
We’re already seeing hints at that but a £67m outlay on a left-winger would surely confirm it.
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