Liverpool have always been a club that have been praised for being clever in the transfer market.
And that was as evident as ever this week.
Luis Diaz is the latest addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad, and the Reds boss will hope that the winger helps the club in both the present and the future.
A £49million investment in a player is not a decision that Liverpool tend to make lightly, especially in the January transfer window.
Klopp has given his public backing of the signing of Diaz, and if history tells us anything it’s a sign that the player will go on to be a success in a Reds shirt.
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While Liverpool have added Diaz to their ranks, that hasn’t stopped the links with potential new players being added to the squad in the future.
The latest name linked with a move to Anfield is Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry. The former West Brom loanee’s contract runs out in 2023, and there is no sign of an extension at this point.
According to Sky Germany, there are concerns that Gnabry will now not sign a new contract at Bayern, with only 18 months left on his deal.
The report states that, with this contract dilemma, several clubs including Liverpool are keeping tabs on Gnabry ahead of making a potential move.
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United are the other teams credited with an interest.
While it remains to be seen whether this interest is even genuine, let alone if Liverpool actually go in to sign the player, it does point to a soon-to-be changing of the guard.
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It’s been well documented that the futures of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are up in the air.
The former’s contract negotiations have been well publicised in the media, while there is yet no sign of any talks involving Mane or Firmino.
Julian Ward has been praised for his early work as Michael Edwards’ forthcoming successor as sporting director, but a challenge involving Mane and Firmino’s futures still remains.
It may seem unthinkable to consider selling either of the duo at the end of the season, but what’s even worse is the idea of letting them leave for nothing a year later.
The pair have been great servants to Liverpool over the past six/seven years, but a time will come when they are no longer contracted at Anfield.
Now it would be, let’s just say, not very wise to let both Mane or Firmino go in the same summer - but one of them?
Liverpool have already started the process of upgrading their forward line for the future. The first was the signing of Diogo Jota in 2020 from Wolves, and now Diaz is that next step.
They are two players who, hopefully, go on and fill the shoes which will eventually be vacated by Mane and Firmino. Jota has arguably already leapfrogged his Brazilian team-mate to be the preferred starter in Klopp’s mind.
Diaz’s time will come at some point, and the links with Gnabry could well point to Liverpool keeping watch for an eventual successor to Salah’s throne.
Again, it’s far too early to say exactly one way or the other, and if Liverpool learned that Gnabry is considering not signing a contract, they, like many clubs across Europe, would be wise to keep an eye on the situation.
Indeed, at 26, Gnabry is a player in his prime and with 12 goals already this season, has been consistent with his output for Bayern.
But it’s not just the forward third where Liverpool are planning for the present and the future,.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez, Kostas Tsimikas, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Kaide Gordon are all no older than 25 years old and have long-term contracts at Anfield.
Add to this the additions of Diaz and Jota, who are both also within that age group, then Liverpool have already got a team that is ready to compete at the highest level now, and in the future.
