Luis Diaz (LW) Barcelona

Rumour Mill
81

I agree with this. Looking at Diaz - a highly performing first team player - seems like such an unnecessary move, especially with the business needed across the rest of the squad.

Improving on Diaz feels like something it makes sense to do if we had very little else on. With money and time needed to be spent on both full backs, a forward, a midfielder, and possibly a defender, I’m struggling to see why we’d want to give ourselves that headache.

For all the talk of Barca, there has also been talk of him wanting a new deal (The two might actually be linked, given the way these things play out).

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82

We really should be looking at integrating Danns as well too.

I think if Diaz , Nunez and Jota leave. We’ll be looking at keeping Chiesa who can play in from the left as well.

One more purchase of a top striker plus Danns as a backup

Gakpo / Chiesa
Danns, CF
Mo / Chiesa

With Frimpong and even Soboszlai who can slot in on the right if needed (especially if Mo goes to Afcon). Might just be doable if the injuries don’t pile up.

Diaz will be a huge miss but the money that’s being talked about isn’t something to let go of. If we get 90m to 100m for him , that takes care of a Wirtz transfer fee if it does happen. And Diaz , while he’s been great for us ,isn’t irreplaceable.

Don’t think the club will let go of Jota but we are witnessing the depreciating returns with him. He just can’t stay fit enough for 70% of the season. If we get a 35m bid , the club should consider it.

I think we are all in accord that Nunez needs to go. Hope it’s for a sizable target fee and not a serie A club with loan and no obligation to buy.

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83

I’m trying to draw some parallels between the midfield overhaul of 2023 and the current state of our forward line. One big outlier is that we really got lucky with Salah having an otherworldly season, otherwise a lot our fanbase would be cursing Diaz and Gakpo as well as Nunez, Jota and Chiesa…

There’s the bottom of the issue for me - not selling Diaz as he is but selling him alongside three vastly inferior forwards at the same time. I think the articles describing Slot from one year ago mentioned his ruthlessness and ability to build a team after a significant turnover of players over two transfer windows but this is Premier League and gelling those new forwards might be very tricky.

Otherwise, I’d have no big issues with selling Diaz for big money that would fund his upgrade (as I believe the club already have his replacement of sorts in Gakpo). From football point of view, I think he’s reached his ceiling at Liverpool. My belief is that, at this club, he’ll probably never be the exciting, productive player he promised he would be before getting injured at Arsenal.

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84

Alternatively, it is down to good management?

One of the reasons his performances last season dropped off was that he was having to take wider positions with Trent moving inside. This season Arne has looked to play him where he is more effective.

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85

We need to be pushing salah more into the center.

We did do that earlier in the season. But that should be the norm. He’s not getting younger and we need him to be in more shooting positions.

That’s only possible when we have other avenues of attack and not only ones focussed on the right wing.

86

Not saying Salah needs to be a CF. But he needs to be the running less and conserving his energy while the team isn’t in possession.

87

Not taking anything away from Slot or Salah, perhaps I should have worded it better - my point was that the drop off in quality from him to Diaz and Gakpo is huge and there’s probably no way of putting it differently.

I made a joke with my friends that Slot was the first coach out there to win PL title without a striker (and a left back), so everyone know where the improvement of forward line should start. Easier said than done, obviously, but I hope that some significant strengthening is done this summer.

88

Pushing Salah into the centre means he has to become our first presser. The most advanced central positions need to be occupied by players who are the first line of defence. There is only so much we can do to protect him in that phase of the game. Which we did in recent years and it brought results for the team, relative success and a consistent Salah. Don’t see his role changing much perhaps only a bit in possession if it’s Frimpong behind/around him.

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89

Not the first presser but he’s got to be the release guy when we do get the posession back.

90

We have to look at Diaz and Jota with two years left on their deals, both 28 years old, and will be 29 come the transfer window in January. There’s a lot that depends on the size of the offers, where they come from (Barcelona and Saudis for Diaz, Saudis for Jota), and whether the players want to leave.

The only certainties in our attack this summer are:

1). Salah
2). Gakpo
3). New CF signing

For me, there are question marks over:

4). Diaz (contract status, age, size of bids)
5). Jota (contract status, age, injury status, and size of bids)
6). Young reserve winger/Frimpong cover (sell Chiesa to trim the squad)

There are a few interesting options out there i.e. Williams, Brahim Diaz, Adeyemi, Cherki, who could be available for respectable fees (although Williams may ask for significant wages).

It could be fascinating to see, that’s for sure. I think one of Diaz or Jota stays, but won’t sign an extension. I think it could be Diaz, and we sell him at a cheaper price to Barcelona in a year’s time, but again, we’ll see.

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91

That’s impossible to plan, depends where you win the ball back and what’s the best passing option (or not!) in that moment. It is likely that Salah does remain our most direct player, our main goalscorer and some of the moves we seem to be doing can be also viewed as continuation to try and keep getting the best out of him. When we’re in possession and attacking, he might have new freedom to receive a bit more on the inside (though Slot likes likes wingers out wide). We’ll also see if there are any differences if it’s Bradley at RB, Frimpong or someone like Gomez (then surely Mo would be asked to stay wide). Other than those little nuances in the phase of the game on the ball, I see us continuing with how we used Salah and I don’t expect us to do something seriously different at this stage of his career, likely for next two seasons, until he’s 35.

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92

Think we’ve seen enough from Slot to know that he will be adaptable to the dynamic.

93

That’s a large part due to us building our attacks around Salah, players like Szobo being tasked to work/run for him etc. If we built our attack to complement Gakpo I think he’d get lots more goals. Not Mo’s numbers but more than the 17 he got this season

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94

Regardless of that, Szobo’s output needs to be higher. Slot said that a few times this season. Creativity also. It’s not perfect science, Salah’s role influences, but doesn’t totally block some other players from having a bit higher numbers. In terms of that, I’m happy with Gakpo’s and Diaz’s this season. Also Mac’s and Virgil’s!

95

No offence but I’m really glad someone else is in charge and not you.

You’re suggesting a bloke who Slot has barely played covers two positions, one of which will have a Mo shaped hole during the AFCON. Then a new centre forward plus a kid with a history of back injuries.

It’s a mad idea for sure but one that is never going to happen.

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96

Specifically someone who was loaned out to get game time, but hasn’t played a single minute thanks to injury.

97

Just want to say that Diaz is a smashing player and I don’t want to sell. But let’s imagine a world where we get a very good offer - and I’m not talking about five quid a week from Barcelona - but proper money, useful money, on the table.

Maybe we see a real overhaul in the forward options?

It could also include a raw talent, such as Malick Fofana, to be an understudy in a post-Diaz world. High ceiling, but work to do to fulfil his promise, and there’s no better place to do that than under a world class coach like Arne Slot.

Wirtz, Ekitike, Gakpo, Salah, Fofana, Danns. And in time, as Salah ages out, perhaps Ngumoha makes a case for himself? He’s doing well so far in the younger bracket.

Nunez, Diaz, Jota, Chiesa all sold. (Other sales to happen too, just limiting it to current forwards who could be sold).

It’s probably too much change in the forward department for one summer, but we do have form for overhauling a whole segment of the team in one fell swoop.

Four forwards out.
Three forwards in.
Two fullbacks in.

Jobs a good un.

Then Bajcetic might make a case for himself in midfield. I’m hoping he can grab that fifth rotation option and Slot will be impressed enough to use him, or we might need a signing here.

And finally, let’s see how the central defence lands, as we might see one of them depart, so we will have to replace a player there.

98

Its out there and farfetched. I do agree.

But I do think there’s a future here for Chiesa.

99

Out of curiosity why do you think Chiesa has a future here but Jota doesn’t and Diaz is somewhat replaceable?

That’s genuine curiosity because I can’t see a future for Chiesa here at all. Maybe it’s my “Italian’s don’t work in the PL” bias but he’s barely kicked a ball in a year due to fitness, not injury, issues. And when he has played he’s been distinctly average. I certainly can’t see us relying on him to cover both wings on his own.

100

I think there’s a usecase where Chiesa can be useable after a year’s rehabilitation period.

Ive seen him at his best. I’d like to think he can get back close to it.

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