Jurgen Klopp is already eyeing up Salah and Mane replacement for Liverpool transfer move

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Liverpool are considering their options for the January transfer window, with Jurgen Klopp keen to make sure he has cover for the African Cup of Nations. Klopp will be without Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita during the tournament, but could sign reinforcements in the mid-season transfer window.

AFCON will run from January 9 to February 6 in Cameroon and Salah’s Egypt, Mane’s Senegal and Keita’s Guinea have all qualified.

Although the tournament has been delayed twice and the Confederation of African Football admitted recently that host nation Cameroon needed to give “urgent attention” to their infrastructure, it is currently set to go ahead.

That means Liverpool will have to do without two of their key attackers and one of their in-form midfielders for what promises to be a crucial time of the season.

The Reds are already planning for this eventuality, though, and could use the January transfer window to bolster their squad.

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According to Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Notícias, Klopp has identified Porto winger Luis Diaz as his ‘favourite solution’ to the problem.

Diaz has been in excellent form this season and has already contributed nine goals and two assists in 11 league games, as well as two strikes in the Champions League.

The 24-year-old plays on the left wing and is a strong dribbler with an eye for goal.

He was the joint top-scorer at the Copa America in the summer, scoring four times for Colombia to tie with Argentina star Lionel Messi.

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His form for club and country makes him an exciting prospect, but also means that he won’t come cheap for Liverpool, who got a first-hand look at him during their 5-1 thrashing of the Portuguese side in the Champions League on September 28.

Diaz only joined Porto from Colombian side Junior in 2019 and his five-year deal does not expire until July 1, 2024.

The winger has a £67million (€80m) buy-out clause in his contract and the report says Porto will insist it is paid in full if a club approaches in January.

Liverpool are also not the only club interested in Diaz, with Manchester United and Chelsea both mentioned in Portuguese reports.

Porto manager Sergio Conceicao is understood to have asked Diaz to stay until the end of the season.

Porto are currently top of the Primeira Liga, level on points with Sporting Lisbon, after 11 games.

Liverpool will have another chance to watch Diaz live when they face Porto at Anfield on November 24.

Klopp’s side have already qualified for the knockout stages of the competition, while Porto are second, one point ahead of Atletico Madrid.

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