Seemingly from nowhere, Liverpool look set to sign exciting Porto attacker Luis Diaz.
The Reds have been heavily linked with the 25-year-old throughout the campaign so far. Yet they looked set to miss out on his signature after Tottenham solidified their interest in this January transfer window.
Diaz’s switch to North London looked all but done, however, Liverpool are now set to hijack the move after tabling an offer thought to be in the region of £37m plus a potential £12m in add-ons.
Had it now been for Spurs’ interest, it’s likely that Liverpool would have made their move for Diaz in the summer with Jurgen Klopp a big fan of the Colombian.
LIVE: Liverpool transfer news - £49m Luis Diaz bid, Takumi Minamino interest, Gavi offer
BREAKING: Liverpool make £49m Luis Diaz transfer bid after hijacking Tottenham Hotspur move for Porto star
Yet it’s believed an early move for Diaz has actually worked out as better value, with Porto expected to have been looking for a fee in excess of £49m in the summer months.
Liverpool fans have got to see Diaz play up close twice already this season, when he lined up against the Reds in Champions League clashes for Porto.
Diaz performed well if unremarkably across both defeats, however, his performances across this whole of the campaign so far highlight him as a talented player with a high ceiling.
Predominantly, the 25-year-old plays on the left of Porto’s attack, although he is right-footed. This means he tends to score more goals than he creates.
So far this season he’s found the back of the net 16 times across all competitions, a return much higher than his assist total of six.
The way he operates draws similarities to how Sadio Mane plays, starting out on the left but posing that ever-present threat of cutting in onto his favoured and more dangerous right foot.
And again similar to Mane, Diaz is a pacey and dangerous dribbler, able to weave through and away from defenders with relative ease.
He’s averaged 7.21 dribbles per 90 this season, with roughly half of those proving successful. That ranks him amongst the top 1% in that department in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
For comparison Mane at Liverpool this season has averaged 5.23 dribbles per 90 with an almost identical success rate.
Diaz’s skill is one of the key reasons why he’s able to work himself into so many good shooting locations. The same is also highly valuable for his team when it comes to launching fast counter-attacks.
Diaz’s profile is extremely similar to Mane’s, suggesting Liverpool most likely see him as the 29-year-old’s long term successor.
