Who is Luis Diaz? Why the Porto winger now looks set for £50m Liverpool transfer after Tottenham talks stall

Nothing epitomises the widening gap between Liverpool and Tottenham quite like their pursuit of Luis Diaz, the Porto winger who is on the brink of joining the Reds for £50m.

To really understand it, it’s helpful to look back to that great sliding doors moment, Spurs’ 4-1 crushing of Jurgen Klopp’s side at Wembley in the Premier League at the end of 2017.

The more things changed in north London, the more they stayed the same. Things have undoubtedly changed, perhaps irrevocably at these two clubs, Klopp so alarmed by the performance of Dejan Lovren – who was hauled off after half an hour in that match – that it precipitated the arrival of Virgil van Dijk. Simon Mignolet too was replaced long-term by Alisson Becker, and Alberto Moreno by Andy Robertson.

Like many of the most memorable games of the Mauricio Pochettino era, the Spurs swagger of that day feels almost too distant to grasp at now. Yet the core ingredients are still there; Hugo Lloris, Davinson Sanchez, Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min, Harry Winks and Dele Alli all started that on that occasion.

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Those who left did so not because they were replaced with upgrades; Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen aged and eventually left either for very little or for nothing. Christian Eriksen moved to Inter Milan and won Serie A. Kieran Trippier, who gave an interview this week questioning Spurs’ transfer strategy, joined Atletico Madrid, replaced by Serge Aurier who was already there. That background explains, at least in part, why there were a smattering of “ENIC out” protestors outside Tottenham’s training ground on Friday.

Liverpool, meanwhile, refused to stand still, a stance which has informed their approach ever since. When they had Roberto Firmino, they still went in for Diogo Jota. They did not need Takumi Minamino but he was a handy back-up when you’ve already got Sadio Mane.

The Diaz move will bolster Liverpool’s attack further, challenging Mane on the left but also providing another option on the right – he can play on both sides – to better cater for Mo Salah’s absences.

Recent weeks, when both Mane and Salah have been away at the Africa Cup of Nations where their countries have both reached the later stages, have provided a foretaste of Liverpool 2.0. One of the great challenges of the latter part of Klopp’s reign will be to rejuvenate an attack that has long centred on the trio of Mane, Firmino and Salah.

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Jota was the first component, to great effect. Diaz could be a similarly brilliant acquisition, with 16 goals and six assists in 28 games for Porto this season. The addition of another attacking player is likely to push Divock Origi further towards the exit, though that is not expected to happen this month.

Liverpool will have grown familiar with Diaz in their two Champions League games against them; he played 90 minutes on both occasions.

The 25-year-old also attracted attention when, playing for Colombia last year, he shrugged off Marquinhos and subsequently made a mockery of Fred, dragging the ball back and then bouncing it off the PSG defender’s shin. The Manchester United midfielder could only look on in bewilderment.

A medical is likely to be undertaken in South America, with three days for the deal to be completed before deadline day. It may be too late for Liverpool’s hopes of chasing down Manchester City, but adding the only man who matched Lionel Messi for goals at Copa America 2021 is a sure-fire way to improve their chances of another title next year.

from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3u8UPnk