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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Tom Cavilla

How Liverpool could line up with Luis Diaz if £49m transfer completed

If Liverpool are to sign Luis Diaz, Jurgen Klopp will have yet another exciting attacking option at his disposal.

Already blessed with the likes of Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane in the ranks, the 25-year-old would be a welcome addition to the squad nonetheless.

READ MORE: Liverpool make £49m Luis Diaz transfer bid after hijacking Tottenham Hotspur move for Porto star

READ MORE: Why Liverpool want Luis Diaz to be their new £49m transfer signing

Liverpool would be faced with a dilemma if a deal for Diaz can be agreed ahead of Monday's deadline, with a decision to be made on just where he would fit in this side.

Having already seen Jota displace Firmino, a question would be raised as to whether or not the Colombian could do the same?

We have explored the possible attacking options below.

Diaz, Jota, Salah

Should the Colombian come straight into the front three, it is likely that Mane would be the player to lose his place in attack due to Diaz predominantly featuring on the left wing.

With Diaz on the left, Jota would likely be the first-choice to lead the line while Salah would complete the attack.

Diaz, Salah, Mane

An alternative option could see Mane keep his place, but switching to the opposite flank.

This was a position the Senegalese star occupied during his first season at the club after signing from Southampton, which would see Salah deployed centrally.

The Egyptian has shone out wide for the Reds this term, but could act as the focal point of attack.

Diaz, Firmino, Salah

A trio that would see Jota and Mane miss out in favour of Firmino.

Perhaps the most unlikely scenario to unfold, Firmino appears to have fallen down the pecking order due to Jota's emergence.

It would be a surprise to see this as the go-to option.

Diaz, Jota, Mane, Salah

A similarly bold approach from Klopp was witnessed away to Manchester City last season, in the form of a 4-2-3-1 system.

This would enable the Liverpool boss to maximise the strength in depth at his disposal to cause opposition sides defensive nightmares.

If deploying this formation, Klopp could swap between Mane and Firmino as the fourth man.

Mane, Jota, Salah

There's every chance that things could remain the same.

As has been the case with other Liverpool signings in recent years, not every player is thrown straight into the starting-eleven.

Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas are two examples of players who Klopp took time to assess before embedding them into the side.

Diaz may be eased in to the team, before eventually replacing Firmino or Mane.

Elsewhere, there are unlikely to be many other changes to the Reds' first-choice eleven unless further additions are made between now and Monday.

Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold will continue to influence from full-back, with Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk as central defenders.

Liverpool will hope Thiago Alcantara will soon be back in action, enabling him to star alongside Fabinho and captain Jordan Henderson.

Up front, Diaz accompanied by Jota and Salah would arguably offer the greatest threat.

Potential Liverpool XI: Alisson, Robertson, Matip, Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold; Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho; Diaz, Jota, Salah.

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