Liverpool are preparing for the inevitable short-term departure of attacking duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, as well as midfielder Naby Keita, with the trio all taking part in the African Cup of Nations.
Many experts believe Liverpool will dip into the transfer market during January — added to this the number of injuries Jurgen Klopp is dealing with at the moment — the club must act in the market and strengthen the squad.
Liverpool pair Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane could leave for the Africa Cup of Nations on December 27 and miss a total of eight games.
The star duo will no doubt be selected to represent their nations – Salah with Egypt and Mane for Senegal – and could potentially be absent for six Premier League games and two FA Cup clashes if they go the distance at the tournament, according to The Athletic.
Those picked to play in the competition could well leave for Africa after the Premier League’s Boxing Day fixtures and not return until the second week of February. (Via: liverpoolecho.co.uk)
To ease some of the pressure on Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino, and Divock Origi, the club is said to be ready to sign FC Porto’s Luis Diaz. The Colombian’s string of wondrous displays have caught the eye of many European giants, including the Reds.
Not only do they want him because of his nine goals and two assist in 11 games this season but also because the boss and the transfer committee see him as the perfect fit for the Anfield club and due to their lack of first-team quality able to help them push on in the title race.
Mo and Mane have a combined goal contribution of 23 of Liverpool’s 31 league goals and their absence will surely be felt but there are solutions to help solve the issue and Diaz is one of them.
Luis Diaz’ agent: “Chelsea and Liverpool interest rumours? It’s normal. If a player plays well, if he starts to stand out, if the majority considers him the best player in the Portuguese League… it’s normal”, he told Radio Renascença. 🔵 #CFC #LFC pic.twitter.com/rtopokztpm
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 18, 2021
Liverpool face competition from Premier League rivals and abroad
Making the transfer a difficult one to land for the Reds: they will have to fork out a lot of funds for the forward with his reported release clause standing at €80 million.
This plus the fact that Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United are also interested, as well as Barcelona — could push the price tag up even higher — somewhere the tight-pocketed FSG are uncomfortable to mess around in.
The club is missing several players since before the international break while some key players were lost while on country duty. If they do not act fast during the Jan window, they will certainly fall behind their counterparts in the race for silverware.
