Sport

Dynamic Diaz offers Liverpool fresh dimension

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is still chuckling at the prospect of his team winning a historic quadruple of trophies, but he does admit he has assembled the strongest squad in his career at Anfield.
One reason for that audacious assertion is the recent signing of Colombian winger Luis Diaz, who has increased the German's attacking options for the second half of the season.

Last week, the Reds ended a 10-year drought to win a domestic cup tournament by defeating Chelsea on penalties in the League Cup final.

They are heavy favorites to reach the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday, with a 2-0 lead over Inter Milan after the first leg of their last-16 tie, while a heavily rotated team sailed into the FA Cup quarter-finals.

A seven-game winning streak in the Premier League has also reignited the title competition with Manchester City, which appeared to be over at the turn of the year.

With Egypt's Mohamed Salah and Senegal's Sadio Mane departing for the Africa Cup of Nations, where Senegal defeated Egypt on penalties in the final, January might have ruined Liverpool's season.

Diaz, on the other hand, joined from Porto near the close of the transfer window for a cost that might increase to £50 million ($66 million), reviving Klopp's attacking options as he pursues a four-pronged challenge.

Much of Klopp's success has been built on attacking the triad of Salah, Mane, and Brazil striker Roberto Firmino.

However, all three are out of contract at the conclusion of next season, when they will all be over 30.

"It was necessary, we can't rely on these boys," Klopp remarked following Diaz's performance in Saturday's 1-0 win against West Ham.

"You must bring in quality and new vitality." That's what we tried, and it appears to have succeeded."

Klopp could afford to leave 17-goal Diogo Jota on the bench at the weekend, while Salah was replaced with the game still in doubt to give him a rare respite ahead of Inter's arrival.

Three weeks earlier at the San Siro, Diaz's entrance helped turn the tide as Klopp made four substitutions before the hour mark.

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