Liverpool forward CONFIRMS Richard Hughes €75m transfer blunder
Liverpool’s summer business has come under plenty of scrutiny since the start of the season and one forward is proving why the criticism is justified.
After winning the Premier League at the first time of asking, Arne Slot was rewarded with an overhaul of his playing squad, with the champions breaking the bank to bring in some of Europe’s top talents.
Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz arrived to plenty of fanfare, but the Reds’ summer spend wouldn’t have been possible without a few outgoings.
Among the players to leave was Luis Diaz, a key but divisive figure at Anfield last season.
Now, with Slot’s side seemingly in freefall, the decision to move on from the Colombian looks like a mistake.
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Richard Hughes’ big summer blunder
Although opinions were divided on Diaz by the end of Liverpool’s title-winning campaign, the forward’s contribution was undeniable.
Diaz scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in the league last season, second only to Mohamed Salah in goal contributions. This return led to the club accepting a bid of around €75 million from Bayern Munich for 28-year-old.
The former Porto ace wasn’t the only Liverpool forward the German champions were interested in though, and before they moved for Diaz it was Cody Gakpo in their sights.
The Dutchman has since confirmed Bayern’s interest, but Richard Hughes made the bold decision to stick with Gakpo and move on from Diaz. A decision that now looks increasingly poor.
Liverpool's left-wing problem
Although he has scored five times and provided a further four assists so far this campaign, Gakpo has not escaped criticism in the Reds’ increasingly poor run of form.
The Dutchman’s tendency to cut in from the left and shoot has begun to frustrate supporters and has made his play predictable to defenders.
Liverpool’s forwards in general have not been good enough this season, but Gakpo’s constant desire to cut inside is becoming a big issue.
Despite supporter’s frustrations with the 26-year-old, it appears Slot has very little choice but to play him every week. The manager clearly does not trust Federico Chiesa to start, and the only other viable option is youngster Rio Ngumoha, who has struggled for minutes this season.
With a lack of options available, the decision to sell Diaz now looks to be costing Liverpool.
Should Diaz have been sold?
Diaz’s excellent form since swapping Merseyside for Munich only adds insult to injury. The Colombian boasts 18 goal involvements from his first 20 games and doesn’t look like slowing down anytime soon.
A forward in red hot form like that is exactly what Liverpool need right now, with no player yet to break the double digits mark for goal involvements.
Although it isn’t guaranteed Diaz would have kicked on in the same way had he stayed at Liverpool, he would represent a more flexible option on the left than Gakpo.
The way the season has gone so far it is only natural that some supporters will be left wondering what could have been if Hughes had sanctioned the sale of Gakpo and kept Diaz at Anfield.
Slot will have to persist with his current options though, at least until January, and the Anfield faithful will be hoping the team's form improves sooner rather than later.
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