Four exciting ways Liverpool could line up with Luis Diaz this season

Luis Diaz appears to be on the brink of a sensational move to Liverpool.

Despite Tottenham Hotspur having sniffed around for the Colombian’s signature earlier in the transfer window, the Reds seem to have pounced for the £45 million move at the eleventh hour.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool and FC Porto are thrashing out the final paperwork necessary to complete the deal with Diaz have already agreed personal terms to join in January.

Liverpool near Diaz move

As such, barring a dramatic collapse of Nabil Fekir-like proportions, images of Diaz celebrating his new five-year contract on Merseyside should be live for Kopites to enjoy in the coming days.

So, we like to think that we wouldn’t be tempting fate by starting to imagine what might be going through Jurgen Klopp’s head as he prepares to add another top-class forward to his arsenal.

Besides, with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota all jostling for a place in Liverpool’s formidable front three, it’s not necessarily easy to see where Diaz might fit into things.

Where does Diaz fit into things?

As you probably know by now, Diaz operates as either a left midfielder or left winger where he can cut inside onto his right foot much in the way that Kopites have seen from Mane in recent years.

But with so much competition at the top end of the Reds’ attack, never mind in the position that Mane has made his own, how could Liverpool realistically line up with Diaz this season?

Well, fear not, dear readers, because we’ve done our best to break into the tactical mind of Klopp and imagine four ways that Liverpool could set up with Diaz for the remainder of the campaign.

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Four ways Liverpool can line up with Diaz

From systems that will have Mane sweating to line-ups that indicate a more gradual integration, be sure to check out our quartet of Liverpool XIs with Diaz taking pride of place down below:

1. Taking the place of Mane

Pretty straightforward, this, because it’s not from without the realms of possibility that Klopp will prove so persistent and strict with his 4-3-3 set-up that only a like-for-like swap on the left would do.

There’s good reason to think that Diaz taking the place of Mane might be the solution in the long run, but we’re more likely to see this system in the case of injuries or rotation for the time being.

That being said, with Diaz posting statistics to rival Mane so far this season, it’s in the Colombian’s best interests to get Klopp mulling over his options if he can hit the ground running on Merseyside.

2. Return to the 4-2-3-1

Believe it or not, there are times that Klopp does deviate away from his 4-3-3 system and yet another addition to his attacking riches might encourage him to go for broke every now and again.

It’s never been a secret that Firmino’s link-up play is some of the best in the business, so he could line up behind Salah just as he did during the 1-1 league draw at Manchester City last season.

Marry that to Diaz and Jota manning the wings or potentially Mane shifting to the right – more on that shortly – and Liverpool might have the sort of all-out attacking system that could suit their new man.

3. Forcing Mane on to the right

But let’s face it, Mane just happens to be one of the best players in the Premier League, so we’ve got to imagine a world in which Klopp tries to play the Senegalese ace and Diaz at the same time.

Naturally, Diaz does have the potential to switch wings as he has done in the past, but we’re more inclined to think that Mane would move over to the right as he did during his first season at Anfield.

It’s a rather tantalising prospect, there’s no denying it, but Klopp’s reservations might surround playing Salah as the Reds’ vocal point and having to sideline Jota despite his superb 2021/22 form.

4. Playing Diaz in cup games

However, if we’re being completely pessimistic, then we might assume that Klopp takes the sort of gradual and considered approach that he did when introducing Fabinho and Andrew Robertson.

As such, Diaz’s only hopes of starting consistently on the left wing for Liverpool this season might be in the FA Cup with potential opportunities to rest Mane allowing him to get his time in the sun.

If that proves to be the case, then the 25-year-old might have to settle for interchange with Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino as he waits for his chance to rub shoulders with Salah consistently. 

Plenty to think about

Whether you’re of the mindset that Diaz will become an instant starter or might barely feature until his second season, there’s plenty for you to stew on there as his Anfield move edges ever closer.

And while all of the above might cause Klopp plenty of tactical headaches, the only way to feel as a Liverpool supporter is pure excitement because the club’s attacking options are looking frightening.

Even in a world where Diaz is slowly but surely eased into the team at a snail’s pace, you can rest assured that he’ll set the Premier League alight when Klopp thinks the time is right. Bring it on.

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