Jurgen Klopp may have found January solution to fix Liverpool problem in Porto win

In pictures: Porto v Liverpool

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Liverpool really are making a habit of winning comfortably away at Porto. That’s now 14-2 (yes, fourteen) on aggregate across three trips to the Estadio do Dragao since the 2017-18 season. It could and perhaps should be more than that, too.

Jurgen Klopp went full-strength, or at least as close as possible to that in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, on Tuesday night and was rewarded as Liverpool made it six points from six in the Champions League with a convincing 5-1 win by the River Douro.

And this latest trip to Portugal granted the chance to get a close-up look at a player who may just be on the radar for the January transfer window.

The Reds only made a single signing in the summer in centre-half Ibrahima Konate and they appear one short in attack after letting Xherdan Shaqiri go without replacing him, although Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino have done well in the matches they have played this term.

When Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, both of whom scored against Porto, depart for the African Cup of Nations in January, Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota, Minamino and Origi are Liverpool’s only four recognised attackers. Harvey Elliott can play in the front three but will not be fit for several months.

Given Liverpool have already lost several players to fitness problems this season, Klopp seems to be aware that adding another forward would be ideal as his side chase glory in the Premier League and the Champions League.

Speaking about the Reds’ attacking options earlier in September, Klopp said: “It’s not ideal, everybody knows that.

“Africa Cup of Nations, they have the right to play their tournament, like Europe and South America, that is completely fine. We knew it, we have to deal with it, and we will deal with it. How? We will have to see in January.

“People are saying now that we have to sign two strikers of the same quality as Sadio and Mo, but that cannot be a solution as we cannot do that. So we need to find a solution in January.”

Porto’s Luis Diaz might just be the ideal option for Liverpool to try and sign in the January window.

The Reds are known to be aware of the Colombian international, who the Independent confirmed Liverpool would keep a keen eye on on Tuesday night.

After 11 goals and six assists in 47 games last term, Diaz scored four in five games at the Copa America to finish as joint top-scorer alongside the one and only Lionel Messi.

The 24-year-old also has five goals and an assist in nine appearances this term, with no-one outscoring him in the Portuguese Primeira Liga although he’s a left-sided winger.

His performance against Liverpool was certainly not Diaz’s finest outing – with his playacting representing some of his most memorable moments – but he was Porto’s most dangerous player and particularly in the opening stages gave the visitors trouble.

A driving second-half run set up Vitinha and the ex-Wolves loanee should’ve made it 3-1 but he could not capitalise from Diaz’s work and failed to beat Alisson despite an excellent pull-back from the byline.

Direct, quick and strong on the ball, while a hard worker off it, Diaz looks a player who would fit in well as a wide-man at Liverpool.

He’s left-sided but that is arguably where Liverpool are most in need of a back-up option given Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino can both play centrally and Salah has got the right side locked down for the foreseeable future, provided he agrees a new contract.

The Barcelona-linked South American, per Marca, would be available for as little as £25.7million, which would make him affordable for the Merseyside club even in January.

Whether Porto would be willing to part with their most prolific player in the winter window is another matter entirely but Liverpool surely might be able to lure him.

This match here again showcased the difference in levels between the two clubs. Liverpool have never lost to Porto in nine all-time meetings.

And so the Reds would surely fancy their chances of bringing the player over to Anfield, should they pursue their apparent interest in him.

If Liverpool are looking for a goalscoring player capable of making an impact who would not command huge wages and who be satisfied not to immediately be a week-in, week-out starter, Diaz might be that man. In fits and flashes, he showed here what he can do.

But Liverpool know outside of Tuesday night’s match in which he wasn’t at his best, Diaz is regularly showing himself worthy of a move to the Premier League. Perhaps they’ll go out and prove that in January.

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