Liverpool’s Diogo Jota injury blow ensures they can’t get out of the £90m predicament Man City have averted.

After acquiring Luis Diaz in January, Liverpool grew stronger as they pursued an unheard-of quadruple last season. They would play 35 times on the field in 2022, losing just twice, picking up Premier League points only three times, and winning 28 of those games in all competitions as they won the domestic cup double but narrowly missed both the Premier League and the Champions League.

To overcome such a deficit and extend the title battle to the final day of the season after being 14 points behind the eventual champions Man City in mid-January was an accomplishment in and of itself. Never mind that the Reds came within one goal of stealing the championship away from the Etihad at one stage when Pep Guardiola’s team trailed Aston Villa 2-0 before falling short by by one point.

Jurgen Klopp’s squad’s depth was essential to these attempts since it allowed him to rotate his team without a discernible dip in performance as Liverpool pursued all major championships. And Diaz’s arrival in the middle of the season made that in the Reds’ offense most obviously visible.

For so long, the line had been led by an unstoppable trio of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino. However, after witnessing Diogo Jota dismantle that renowned front three, the Colombian’s entry assured that no player was indispensable, as Klopp still had Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino as back-ups.

All seasoned internationals, only the Belgian failed to finish the 2021/22 season with double digits in shots on goal, underscoring Liverpool’s potent assault. However, Klopp would only benefit from this abundance of alternatives for half a season until his squad was dispersed.

Mane left Anfield for new opportunities rather than a contract extension, signing with Bayern Munich in a deal for up to £35 million, while Origi left at the conclusion of his tenure after deciding to join AC Milan on a Bosman move.

In the meanwhile, Minamino would be sent to Monaco for £15.5 million after finding it difficult to earn a starting position with the Reds. No team is immune to such departures, as title rivals City discovered this summer when Jesus signed with Arsenal for £45 million and Sterling was acquired by Chelsea for £47.5 million.

 

Naturally, Liverpool was ready for their own exits; Diaz was merely the first to join the team after sporting director Julian Ward was given the job of rebuilding the Reds assault in light of the team’s aging stars and contract expirations. In order to fulfill his promise, he signed Salah to a new three-year contract extension and signed Darwin to a potential club-record £85 million deal. He also agreed to compensate Fabio Carvalho with a compensation package worth up to £7.7 million.

However, Jota’s injury scare during the Reds’ preseason tour of the Far East served as a reminder of their diminished depth. Prior to suffering a hamstring injury while representing Portugal internationally last month, the Portuguese was having the most productive season of his career when an ankle ailment derailed him in the season’s final third.