When Liverpool swiftly moved to sign Luis Diaz in January, it was clear they did so knowing they had no other choice if they wished to land the Colombia international from FC Porto.
The Reds would have happily waited until the summer to bring in the 25-year-old, but Tottenham Hotspur’s own move for the winger forced their hand.
As such, Jurgen Klopp’s squad have been bolstered by an additional attacking option they had planned to go without for the second half of the campaign, providing a surprise but welcome boost as they look to compete on four fronts and chase down Man City in the Premier League title race.
But despite Diaz’s mid-season arrival, the Liverpool boss perhaps wasn’t expecting his £49m signing to make an immediate impact. Or, at least if he was, he made sure to play down such a suggestion.
"If he stepped on the pitch and was immediately at his absolute best and playing better than everyone else then it would be really strange,” the German warned ahead of facing Cardiff City.
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"He needs time to adapt to it but that doesn't mean I speak about four or five months. I haven't even seen him yet at the training ground so maybe we should wait a little bit!”
Now a few weeks into Diaz’s Liverpool career and the message from Klopp is the same - his new signing will be given time to adapt to his new surroundings.
“He is a new player, we have to get used to new things in a team, we have all other players fit and they know exactly what I want from them,” Klopp told reporters ahead of facing Inter Milan.
"We give Luis a little bit more time to adapt to it… We expect a lot from him in the future. Now already but in the future as well. I have a good feeling it will be a really nice story with Luis at Liverpool."
It was that stance that saw Diaz left as an unused substitute against Burnley last weekend with Klopp wanting to spare the winger “a real, ‘Welcome to the Premier League’” if possible.
But even though the 25-year-old is more a Reds signing for the future as opposed to now, that certainly hasn’t stopped him from making an immediate impact on Merseyside.
A debut appearance against Cardiff saw him claim an assist within 10 minutes of leaving the bench, while he enjoyed a fine maiden Premier League appearance when surprisingly selected to start against Leicester City.
And while his services weren’t required at Turf Moor, it was his introduction as part of a treble-substitution along with Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita that helped turn the tide in Liverpool’s favour at the San Siro.
With the Reds facing an Anfield double-header against Norwich City and Leeds United before next weekend’s Carabao Cup final clash with Chelsea, it would be no surprise to see the Colombian make his second start for the club in the forthcoming days, and not just because Diogo Jota has been struck down by an ankle injury.
The 25-year-old’s immediate impact while also being eased into Liverpool life is similar to how his Portuguese team-mate was implemented into the Reds’ starting XI, with the striker now arguably first-choice ahead of Roberto Firmino just 18 months on from his £45m arrival from Wolves.
It would be premature to predict Diaz usurping Sadio Mane in Klopp’s pecking order in equally fast fashion in the months ahead.
However, the lack of reaction to the withdrawal of the Senegalese for the Colombian on the hour-mark at the San Siro perhaps made it clear that this is a transitional period for an ageing Liverpool side, as the Reds bring in replacements for their tried and trusted and slowly change up their status quo in plain sight.
Where once their strongest starting XI was unquestioned and their best players were untouchable indispensables, that is the case no longer.
Where once they were an ageing squad, littered with injury-prone players and lacking in depth, now a group strong across the board with exciting new talents is emerging.
“If there is a player who can play the same position as yourself in quite an impressive way, yeah, you better perform!” Klopp warned earlier this month.
“My job is not to stick with the boys as much as I like them, as much I owe them, as much as we’ve gone through together. My job is to line up the best team for today, not for yesterday.”
No player is immune to such treatment with Virgil van Dijk well-aware of that fact when speaking about Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez in a virtual exchange with a young fan at Alder Hey shortly before Christmas.
“These two are going to take my place at one point though!” he admitted.
The arrivals of Diaz, Jota and Konate, along with the progress of Harvey Elliott, suggest that Klopp has already brought in replacements for the majority of his elder statesmen, with rotation between such strength in depth now about to become part and parcel of Anfield life.
And Mohamed Salah could be the next player to see his place on Merseyside rivalled.
Like Firmino and Mane, he will finish the campaign in the 30s club. Like Firmino and Mane, he is out of contract in 2023 with it currently unclear whether he will agree fresh terms.
And while he might not currently have an obvious deputy waiting in the wings, with Elliott being transformed into a midfielder, the Reds publicised interest in the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Raphinha could see that change in the summer.
Liverpool are known to be monitoring both players, with them both enjoying exceptional seasons for West Ham United and Leeds United respectively, and such form altering perceptions on potential moves to Anfield.
While the Reds might have added a forward in January in Diaz, it may not be at the expense of Bowen or Raphinha, with such interest suggesting Klopp remains in the market for another inverted right-forward.
And it appears it is not reliant on Salah’s future either, with the progress of Jota and Diaz’s early form highlighting how Liverpool are now balancing their options as they plan for the future.
There will come a time when the Egyptian leaves Anfield, with the same also being the case for Mane and Firmino. Whether that occurs in 2023 or if they agree new contracts at Anfield remains to be seen.
But whenever that day might come, the Reds have already signed their replacements for two of their previously untouchable front three and currently operating in a stratosphere where both the present and future of their side can co-exist.
And while Klopp is understandably keen for Salah to remain at Anfield beyond the end of his current deal, Liverpool’s recent recruitment of Diaz and Jota offers a hint as to how they will approach replacing the Egyptian regardless of the outcome of current contract negotiations.
His fragile contract status inevitably causes anxiety in a fanbase desperate to see the record-breaking forward stay put. He is currently the best player in the world, after all.
But there would have been a time when Mane and Firmino’s own uncertain futures would have resulted in the same reaction.
They've already essentially replaced the duo with Diaz and Jota, regardless of when they leave, with the remainder of their Anfield careers a prolonged passing on of the baton.
It might be an even more intimidating prospect, finding a replacement for Salah, but the Reds have struck gold in attack so far at the expense of any ill-feeling, and interest in Bowen and Raphinha suggests they are currently undergoing such homework again.
In an ideal world, the forward would sign a new contract by the summer to complement the arrival of a would-be future replacement, with Liverpool putting into action another slow succession plan and the final step into replacing their famous front three.
The Reds will be working hard behind the scenes to keep hold of their Egyptian King for as long as possible.
But make no mistake, they’re equally already plotting for a life beyond Salah, should that day come in 2023 or beyond.
